Coastal erosion disrupts Olive Ridley nesting in Gahirmatha rookery
Severe coastal erosion has significantly reduced nesting beaches on Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands in Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, delaying the mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles. While Rushikulya beach saw over 2 lakh turtles, Gahirmatha's absence baffles researchers. Nasi-1 has shrunk from 1.5 km to 100m, and Nasi-2 from 2 km to 300m, with beaches becoming too steep for nesting.