Jaffna Lagoon

Jaffna Lagoon

Jaffna Lagoon (Sinhala: යාපනය කලපුව; Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணக் கடல் நீரேரி) is a semi-enclosed shallow water body located in the Northern Province in Sri Lanka. Containing a number of coastal wetland habitats, the lagoon is an important breeding area for numerous marine species (IUCN & CEA, 2006). BirdLife International has identified the Jaffna lagoon as an Important Bird Area (IUCN & CEA, 2006). Physical features & climate Connected to the Palk Bay, the lagoon is long and narrow and is surrounded by a dry zone landmass dominated by sandy areas and dry zone scrublands including mangroves (IUCN & CEA, 2006). It has an area of approximately 421 km ²  extending from Elephant Pass in the southeast to Kayts in the northwest (Chitravadivelu, 1994; IUCN & CEA, 2006). The lagoon is relatively shallow and the depth doesn't exceed 4 m (Chitravadivelu, 1994; Sivashanthini & Abeyrami, 2003). The shoreline is composed mostly of sandy soil while the bottom is mostly mud (IUCN &…