Episode 96: Disaster in the High Seas

On 20 May 2021, Sri Lanka witnessed the worst marine environment disaster in its waters. The X-Press Pearl, a cargo ship carrying chemicals that caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka, has left in its wake an environmental disaster that the island nation will have to live with for several decades. To discuss the environmental and economic consequences of the incident, Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow at ISAS, spoke to Dr Ranil Nanayakkara. Dr Nanayakkara is a conservation biologist specialising in terrestrial and marine mammals. His research mainly focuses on the lesser studied species of marine mammals such as Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins, Indo-pacific Finless Porpoise, Sperm Whales and Dugongs. He currently serves as a Regional Member of the IUCS-SSC Sirenia Specialist Group.