Abstract:
Mangrove ecosystems are important for coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, carbon storage,
and community livelihoods. Although mangrove research in Sri Lanka has expanded over several
decades, its thematic development and research gaps have not been systematically mapped. This study
provides a bibliometric overview of Sri Lankan mangrove research from 1974 to 2026, moving beyond
“what is known” to examine “how knowledge has developed.” Bibliographic records were collected
from PubMed, OpenAlex, Dimensions, and Crossref using the search query “mangrove(s) AND Sri
Lanka.” A total of 1,438 records were initially retrieved. After duplicate removal and manual relevance
screening using Zotero reference manager, 478 publications were retained for analysis. Descriptive
bibliometric analysis and keyword co-occurrence mapping were conducted using VOSviewer to
identify publication trends, thematic clusters, temporal patterns, and research hotspots. Publication
output increased markedly after 2010, with the highest activity recorded between 2020 and 2024.
Keyword analysis showed a shift from foundational ecological studies on species composition,
vegetation structure, and distribution toward broader themes including conservation, restoration, blue
carbon, climate change, ecosystem services, socio-economic dimensions, remote sensing, and
bioprospecting. Manual thematic classification showed that socio-economic, livelihood, and ecosystem
service studies formed the largest category, with 88 publications (18.4%), followed by conservation,
restoration, and governance with 66 publications (13.8%) and biomass, blue carbon, and carbon
sequestration with 58 publications (12.1%). Despite this diversification, gaps remain in belowground
ecological processes, ecosystem-level microbial ecology, long-term restoration monitoring, and
geographically balanced research. This study provides an evidence-based overview of Sri Lankan
mangrove research and highlights priority areas for future interdisciplinary studies and coastal
management planning.
