Around 3,600 species of fauna and flora have been identified in the Gulf of Mannar, which comprises of 3 different ecosystems - Sea grass, Mangrove and Coral Reef. 17 species of mangrove occur within the reserve and act as an important nursery of habitats. The shallow waters in the area have the highest concentration of sea grass species along India's 7,500 km coastline. 11 species of sea grass recorded in India are found in the reserve. The island's surrounding shallow waters harbours 3 species of seagrass that are found nowhere else in India. The same shallow waters are also known to have at least 147 species of marine algae (seaweed). These meadows support complex ecological communities and are of global significance as they are among the largest remaining feeding grounds for the globally endangered dugong. Additionally five species of marine turtles, innumerable fish, seahorse, molluscs and crustaceans also feed here.

Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP), India - Potential Damage to the Seagrass Beds

No other project in the world is so steeped in political, economical, ecological, and religious significance, that extinction of seagrass and the ecology of the Gulf of Mannar appears to be no importance to any of the parties involved.

The Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP) aims to dig a shipping canal through the Gulf of Mannar, between India and Sri Lanka. The Adams Bridge region is a rich biodiversity site, which lies in the path of the proposed canal. The proposed project threatens to destroy the fragile ecosystem - the flora and fauna of the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere. Not only seagrass, but also the fragile marine life such as coral reefs, fishes, and all types of flora and fauna of that region are facing a grave danger of extinction.

SSCP involves a vast amount of dredging. Dredging is an excavation activity that involves digging, collecting and clearing the waterways to keep them navigable. Dredging adversely impacts the aquatic ecosystem. It not only causes disturbances in the seabed by uprooting the fragile flora and fauna, but also creates turbidity in the water and unnatural sedimentation at the bottom. The seagrass would be subject to harsh environmental conditions ranging from change in water depths, turbulence, seabed composition, chemical imbalance, toxicants, and many more mitigating factors.

Associated with dredging is the added risk of siltation in which fine grain like particles settle on the seabed. Optimal amount of silt helps the seabeds but excessive deposition or accumulation of silt threatens the anchorage of seagrass and other plants. Moreover, too much sediment on the seagrass root system can lead to the rotting of roots due to clogging.

While studies on seagrasses are gaining ground in most parts of the world outside of India, the future still seems bleak for the seagrass of Gulf of Mannar. Though ecologically classified as sensitive, seagrass remains forgotten in the grand scheme the SSCP.