The once-common beach morning glory vines (Ipomoea pes-caprae) have slowly been disappearing from Cox’s Bazar beach in southeastern Bangladesh, especially at the more popular tourist destinations like Laboni, Kolatoli and Sugandha beach points.

Experts and studies indicate excessive footfall on the beach — which is destroying the coastal ecosystem — is leading to the morning glory decline in Cox’s Bazar.

However, the plant is still doing well in Daryanagar, Himchari, Inani and Teknaf beaches to some extent, where tourism is comparatively less. And their existence here is critical.

The absence of the flowery creeper in the populated spots has made the sandbar fragile, which has resulted in frequent erosions, affecting the ecology.

According to research, beach morning glory is one of the common vegetation types on Bangladesh’s beachy coasts. The plant plays an important role in forming dunes by trapping airborne sedimentation.

Sand dunes conserve food and provide shelter for crustaceans, birds and small insects and coastal animals. They also play a role in preventing tidal surges and floods. They keep the structure of the beach sand intact, and coastal fauna depend heavily on them. Although seemingly small, their role is essential in protecting the ecosystem of the beach.

M. Shahidul Islam, environmental science and geography professor at the University of Dhaka, says, “The species is very effective in protecting beach areas from soil erosion and helping the environment recover. It can grow in sandy soil with very few nutrients and needs little water. It can also survive in high salt conditions.”

“Its roots go more than three feet deep into the sand, making it strong and stable. This plant grows very fast and without disturbance, it spreads across sand dunes forming a natural net that holds the soil in place,” he says. “Many marine animals, like crabs and birds, depend on the plant for survival. It also helps create a healthy environment for other small organisms, including beneficial bacteria in the soil.”

A 2020 study revealed the presence of sand dunes in 63.63% of the beaches of Cox’s Bazar district, with 39.39% of them sustaining vegetation. It attributes tourism as a reason for damaging the beaches’ dunes and vegetation.

The morning glory and how they are disappearing

Locally known as sagar lata, the beach morning glory grows on all the sandy seashores in Bangladesh. The flowers, which have two color variations — purple, which is more common in Bangladesh, and white — bloom in the morning and last until sunset. They’re popular among tourists as they provide an aesthetic view on the beach.

The saline tolerant vine is fast-growing, able to grow up to about 0.3 meters (1 foot) in a day, and can reach more than 30 m (100 ft.) in length.

Mozaffar Ahmed, who has been selling jhinuk (sea shell) ornaments around Laboni beach point since 1976, says, “At one time, the entire beach used to be covered in a mixture of green and purple colors. However, for the last 10-12 years, we can see only people roaming on the beach rather than flowers.”

According to a 2014 study, around 2 million tourists would visit Cox’s Bazar for recreation every year from October to April. Now, tourists have increased: A recent media report says that around 30,000 to 35,000 people visit the beach every day.

The plants had reappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was in lockdown and the beaches were free of tourists. With the morning glory, several species of birds, butterflies, crabs and other coastal wildlife were seen, too.

The president of Cox’s Bazar district’s Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (an environment movement), Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, shares about the same experience with Mongabay: “Beach morning glory has not been seen at three beach points in Cox’s Bazar for the last couple of years. Some newer tourist spots like Patuartek, Inani and Teknaf are also experiencing the same fate as these areas as they’re seeing more tourists nowadays.”

As sand dunes get destroyed in these areas and the beach loses soil, the seawater advances closer to the nearby human habitation during tidal surges. Eventually, the drinking water sources in local areas are contaminated with saline water, and the flora that depend on fresh water are affected.

Acknowledging Chowdhury’s words, Shahidul Islam also says, “Excessive tourist movement is damaging ecosystems not only in Cox’s Bazar, but in other popular beach spots in the country, like Kuakata, St. Martin Island and Sonadia Dwip, as well.”

“Apart from tourism, the organizing of events like volleyball and football games, beach biking, concerts, and kite festivals on the beach, are also creating disturbances to the growth of the beach morning glory.”

The professor also warned that if the creeper disappears from the beach, the sand dunes will gradually erode and affect the ecosystem of the beach.

Banner image: The once-common beach morning glory vines (Ipomoea pes-caprae) have slowly been disappearing from Cox’s Bazar beach in southeastern Bangladesh. Image by Forest and Kim Starr via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 US).

Citations:

Hasan, M. M., Shahnewaz, M. (2014). Measuring Tourist Service Satisfaction at Destination: A Case Study of Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach, Bangladesh. American Journal of Tourism Management. doi:10.5923.j.tourism.20140301.04.html

Islam, M. S. (2023). Integrated Coastal Zone Management: An Approach to Protect and Conserve the Morphology and Ecology of Coastal Dune Systems of Bangladesh. CRC Press. Retrieved from https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25885906-sand-dunes-of-the-northern-hemisphere-25-03-30-19-06-18/#document/p1

Mahbub, R. B., Ahmed, N. & Yeasmin, F. (2020). Towards reducing the data gap in the conservation efforts for sea turtles in Bangladesh. Regional Studies in Marine Science. Elsevier Volume 35. doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101151

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