Panicked over the alarming rate at which the mangrove forest are dying in the Maldives, the country’s environment ministry has decided to send some samples for testing to India, Sun news reported.

The samples from the various islands will be sent to the University of Science and Technology, Kochi in India for the purpose of investigation into the possible causes behind the dying forests. 

Earlier, the government had first noticed the phenomenon of dying mangroves in one of the islands early this early. But by the end of the year, around eleven islands have caught up with the same situation. Authorities in the Maldives are concerned over the loss of the rich wetlands in some of the northern islands whose mangroves have died this year. 

Meanwhile, the University in Kochi has been assisting the environment agencies in the Maldives to carry out required tests like DNA sequencing analysis and PCR tests to identify pests and plant pathogens. The Maldives’ Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has held several virtual sessions with experts from the Kochi University in this regard. 

Now, the environment ministry said, some of the tests could not be conducted in the country hence they would be sending these samples to India sometime next week. 

Some of the preliminary investigations have also been conducted by the fisheries and agriculture ministry which indicated a particular type of worms and insects that are causing the root rot in Kelaa and Neykurandhoo islands.