Garanduwa Lagoon

Garanduwa Lagoon (Sinhala: ගරාඬුව කලපුව) is an atoll lagoon and a mangrove forest situated in Mirissa in Matara District, Sri Lanka (Gunarathne et al., 2018). Out of 89 lagoons in the country, Garanduwa is the only inland lagoon located nearly 1 km away from the sea (Senaratna et al., 2015). It is intermittently connected to the sea by two restricted inlets; Mirissa Udupila Ela and Thalaramba Lamasuriya Ela (Priyadarshana et al., 2014; Senaratna et al., 2015). Historical value The name Garanduwa is derived from a Sanskrit term because of the presence of many crocodiles in the past (Senaratna et al., 2015). Prince Keerthi who later became King Vijayabahu I (1055-1110 A.D.) is said to have built his palace on Siribaddana Island which is located within the lagoon (Priyadarshana et al., 2014; Senaratna et al., 2015). The old temples Garanduwa and Nadeethirarama are located in the vicinity of this lagoon. The lagoon The lagoon is extending in an area of about 0.32 km2 (Priyadarshana et al., …