By: Thusitha Bulathgama Throughout history, Sri Lanka’s coastline has been protected from storms, pirates, and oil spills. But in recent years, a new and silent threat has emerged. Billions of tiny plastic pellets, known as
By Dilshani Maralanda
On a sunny morning, volunteers are strolling along the beach, not in search of seashells, but to collect handfuls of tiny white pellets. At first sight, they might look like little rice grains, but in reality, they are plastic nurdles. Thanks to the MSC Elsa 3 spill, which occurred on May 25, 2025, off the coast of Kerala, millions of nurdles have been washed into the waters and beaches of Sri Lanka.
By: Sara Sadoon
They may look harmless — small, round, almost like grains of rice — but nurdles are choking our oceans, threatening marine life, livelihoods, and even the food we eat. And we’re not paying nearly enough attention. Nurdles, the raw plastic pellets used to make everything from bottles to toys, are among the largest sources of microplastic pollution in the world. Their role in the plastic production chain is fundamental, but once these tiny pellets escape into the ocean, they become a slow-moving ecological disaster.
By Dilshani Maralanda When we slather on sunscreen before a day at the beach, we think about protecting our skin from harmful UV rays. But have you ever considered what happens to it once it
By Moira Alfred Between May and June 2021, the MV X-Press Pearl incident released over 1,680 tons of nurdles into Sri Lanka’s marine environment. This event is regarded as the largest single incident of marine plastic pollution in history, with
By Moira Alfred Nestled in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s stunning coastline faces severe marine pollution threats. The densely populated southern and western regions (home to 40% of the population) are particularly vulnerable due to
By Akarsha Kumarihamy Coastal tourism is a powerhouse of the global economy, particularly for island nations and those blessed with stunning shorelines. Every year, millions of travelers flock to coastal destinations, drawn by pristine beaches,
By Rojie Ekanayake Have you visited a beach in Sri Lanka in the past few years and noticed something that wasn’t there before? If you’ve spotted small, lightweight objects resembling lentils or beads, they might
By Fathima Eshqa இந்து சமுத்திரத்தின் முத்து என அழைக்கப்படும் எமது நாடான இலங்கை உயிர் பல்வகைமை மிக்க ஒரு பிரதேசமாகும்.மேலும் கடல் உயிர்க் கோளத்தின் ஒரு பகுதியாக வடக்கு, கிழக்கு மற்றும் தெற்கு கடற்பிரதேசங்களில் பலவகைப்பட்ட முருகைக்கற்பாறைகளை தன்னகத்தே கொண்டுள்ளன. முருகைக்கற்பாறைகள்/ பவளப்பாறைகள்/ பவளப் படுக்கைகள் (Coral
By Malith Withanage Don Sri Lanka was one of the countries most severely impacted by the 2004 tsunami, the worst environmental disaster the nation has ever faced. In a single day, nearly 30,000 lives were
