Pink Blooms in Kole Wetland

Pink Blooms in Kole Wetland

News: Kole wetlands, an internationally important Ramsar site of high value biodiversity, has been facing the threat of alien invasive species called ‘Pink Blooms’.

About:
• Cabomba furcuta, popularly called as Pink Bloom due its massive flowering, is an invasive species in Kole wetland waters.
• Cabomba furcuta was brought to Kerala as an aquarium plant and has escaped to the wild. The species is native of central and South America.
• Cabomba, which requires a large quantity of oxygen for its growth will choke water bodies and drainage canals. It could also spread out to the paddy fields as seeds quickly spread into them.
• According to a survey done as part of the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2023, some migratory waterbird species, particularly duck species that visit Kerala's Alappuzha region, are experiencing declining populations due to increasing invasive species.

About Kole Wetland:
• Kole Wetland located in Kerala is one of the Ramsar Sites.
• It is the largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem located in the state of Kerala.
• Extending from the northern bank of Chalakudy River in the south to the southern bank of Bharathapuzha River in the north.
• It is situated in the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds.