SRI LANKA ASSOCIATION FOR FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES (SLAFAR) SCIENTIFIC GaHnth 2015 ABSTRACTS OF PAPERSProceedings of the Twenty-first Scientific Sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for Fisheries and 36 Aquatic Resources, 22"! May, 2015. Auditorium of National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency, Colombo 15, Sri Lanka, Assessment of mangrove forest structure in Puttalam lagoon and Dutch Bay : V. Pahalawattaarachchi'*and A.L.M. Rifky? ‘National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency *Hardy Advanced Technological Institute, Ampara “Corresponding author (email:vasalanka@gmail.com) Structural parameters of mangrove forests were measured at eight locations in Puttalam lagoon and Dutch Bay from January to March of 2014. Eight transects of 50-60m in length and 10m in width were divided into 50m x 50m plots where all individuals greater than 2.5cm DBH were measured, identified and recorded. Height of the trees also measured. The complexity index (Cl) and importance value (IMV) were computed using standard methods. Avicennia marina was the most dominant mangrove species in the Puttalam lagoon with the highest relative dominance value of 89 and the importance value of 241. Rhizophora mucronata was the second most dominant species with heights relative dominance value of 86 and the importance value of 222.5. Fringing mangroves of Eramathivu island exhibited the highest dominance for R. mucronata and A. marina, respectively. Structurally well developed R. mucronata trees which are approximately 5m in hight and 83% of relative dominance could be observed at Erumathivu islands. Highest importance values were recorded for A. marina in the second location of Erumathivu island while second highest Importance value was recorded for R. mucronata at the first location of the same island. Highest species diversity (06 spp.) was observed at Periyaarchchi island which comprised of higher density of Pemphis acidula and Sonnaratia cassiolaris. Highest stand density (4683trees/ha) was encountered at the second location of fringing mangroves in Periyaarchchi in which five species of mangroves were recorded. A. marina has the highest importance value for landward fringe mangroves at Kalpitiya, Puttalam lagoon due to the highest relative frequency (83). Structural studies of mangroves at Erumathivu islands in 1990 recorded that the complexity index was 1.95 and structural importance values (IMV) for the dominant species, A. marina and R. mucronata were 122.4 and 177.6 respectively (Amarasingha and Balasubramenium, 1992). When compared with those findings, structural importance (IMV) of species and the diversity and the abundance (Cl) have been increased in the fringing mangrove island habitat after 24 years of period. Despite of that, riverine mangroves of Dutch Bay showed a complexity index from 8 to 22 while in the present study it was ranged from 2.9 to 8.2 evidencing that structural diversity has decreased after 24 years. It could observe that the lower structural complexity was due to decrease of structural characteristics such as stand density, basal area and number of species encountered in the present study area except tree height. High regeneration capacity was observed in each plot of study with the lower densities. Keywords: Avicennia marina, Puttalam lagoon; Rhizophora mucronata.