Hypoxic events are becoming frequent in some estuaries and coastal waters due to over-enrichment of anthropogenic nutrients, organic matter, and/or due to restricted water circulation. The coastal lagoons and estuaries of Sri Lanka are facing high population pressure and lacking sufficient infrastructure. Coastal lagoons may receive high anthropogenic inputs of natural or untreated nitrogen and phosphorus wastes, and consequen...

Microplastic pollution has become the most significant marine environmental concern. There has been a surge of information on microplastic contamination in various marine environments worldwide. However, the level of microplastic contamination in marine environments is just begun to understand in Sri Lanka. The present study looked at the microplastic contamination level in the beach sand of Pitipana, Catamaran, and Dūwana bea...

Yellowfin tuna (YFT) (Thunnus albacares) is among the most popular fish in seafood trade all over the world. The quality of tuna meat is the main determinant of its market price. This study was conducted to determine the shelf life of YFT flesh stored at 0-2oC in terms of microbial total plate count (TPC), histamine levels and flesh colour change within 15 days of storage. Twenty-five YFT samples collected from a seafood proce...

Gonad development and maturation of the spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775) inhabiting coastal waters off Negombo, Sri Lanka was investigated to understand the reproductive strategies. Sexual ontogeny was investigated using histological examinations of the gonads and changes in sex ratio with body size. Cellular characteristics and the most advanced germ cells presented in the gonads were considered for deter...

Parasitism leads to severe economic losses to marine fish exports in Sri Lanka. Swordfish is a seasonal species with high demand both locally and internationally. Presence of a parasite in their flesh confuses the suppliers with zoonotic Anisarkis spp. This study is aimed to identify the plerecercoid parasitic larvae found in swordfish and establish a feasible method of diagnosis at fish processing factories. Parasites buried...