The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) has been operating in India, Maldives and Sri Lanka since late 1997 with the goal to establish a regional network of people and institutions to collect coral reef information for integrated and poverty-oriented reef management planning and policy-making. This paper briefly summaries the activities and experiences of the ‘GCRMN South Asia’ from its first five years of operation, including a capacity building framework developed to assist identify, collect and use coral reef information to inform and influence management and policies. Important messages of the paper are that effective coral reef monitoring and  management structures need to consider first and foremost the needs of the people who depend on the reefs for their survival. Secondly, it is critical that information of all types (ecological, socioeconomic, cultural, political and institutional) is available in a range of formats to develop holistic policies and management solutions. Through the activities presented below, a set of lessons relating to gathering, organizing, and disseminating that critical information to end-users have emerged, which may be useful in future work within and outside the region.

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The Tuticorin Coast is the most environmentally stressed coastal area in the Gulf of Mannar (Patterson,  2002). Population increases, lack of other employment opportunities, and low literacy levels force local  villagers to depend mainly on the marine resources that can be harvested from around the four coral reef fringed islands off the coast. As most of the fishermen do not have adequate financial support for large vessels, they are restricted to reef areas that are easily accessible with small boats. Strained by decreasing fish catches, they are often compelled to use more effective and also destructive fishing methods, which reduce the productivity of the reefs even further. Overfishing and the use of destructive fishing methods have been prevalent for many years. Coral mining has been practiced for the past several decades, and many poor fishermen are involved in this illegal practice for their daily livelihood (Patterson, 2002). The number of boats involved in mining varies with the fishing season. Although this practice is now considerably less common,it still persists. Cyanide fishing is used to catch reef fishes and the use of various types of destructive fishing nets such as beach seine nets and trawl nets are causing harm to the benthic environment in Tuticorin.

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The Gulf of Mannar (GOM) contains 21 islands, which form a chain of small fringing reefs on shallow shores stretching 170 nautical miles between 8º46' and 9º14' N latitude and 78º9' and 79º14' E longitude from north of Mandapam to south of Tuticorin. This area is renowned for its floral and faunal wealth. Patterson et al. (2004) reported 104 coral species belonging to 38 genera from the area. A large number of traditional fishermen from the mainland use the reefs as fishing grounds. In 1982, the fishery production in the area was 2 375 tons and in 1983, it was 2 150 tons (Venkataramanujam & Santhanam, 1985). Molluscs, holothurians and algae are harvested in large quantities (Patterson, 2002). Although the conservation authorities of Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park have curtailed destructive reef activities considerably, dynamite fishing and coral mining still occurs in the area.

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Bandaramulla Reef is an isolated reef on the southern coast of Sri Lanka where the activities of tourists,  fishermen and coral miners are completely unregulated. As a result, the overall health of the reef is gradually becoming degraded. This paper describes the present status of the reef and highlights the impacts of mining activities. At present, the coral community is dominated by Pocillopora, Goniopora and Podabacia, which are known to thrive in highly turbid waters, while the reef fish community is comprised primarily of herbivores. Questionnaires and direct  interviews determined that 81% of coral miners were between 15 and 25 years old and that each miner earns Rs. 375 per hour. In total, these miners remove approximately 60 tons of coral each month, averaging 50 coral bags per day. In order to find sustainable solutions to the degradation of Bandaramulla Reef, recommendations for awareness programs, alternative livelihood options, alternatives for coral lime production and improvements in law enforcement are proposed.

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As an island nation, Sri Lanka’s economic development has always been closely linked with the coast and the marine environment. Coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds provide significant socioeconomic benefits, especially in the form of food security and livelihood options for over one million people in the country. The coral reefs of Sri Lanka have not been comprehensively mapped, but three types of reef habitats have been identified: true coral reefs; consisting of fringing and patch reefs, and sandstone and rocky  coral communities. The major reef formations are found on the continental shelf within the 30 m depth contour. An estimated 2–3% of the coastline has fringing reefs, with larger reef areas occurring offshore in the Gulf of Mannar and west of the Kalpitiya Peninsula (Rajasuriya et al., 2002; Bakus et al., 2000)

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