Eroding islands of Gulf of Mannar - consequence of coral mining?

Gulf of Mannar located in the southeast coast of India has a chain of 21 uninhabited coral islands stretching from Rameswaram to Tuticorin covering a coastal distance of 140 km. The 21 islands and surrounding shallow coastal waters have been declared as Gulf of Mananr Marine National Park for the purpose of protecting marine wildlife and its environment since 1986. But unprecedented coral mining has happened in Gulf of Mannar until 2004 for building material and for the lime factories. Coral mining was completely stopped since 2005 because of strict regulations and implementations. Live coral cover has increased significantly since then. However, the decades long mining has made the islands open to strong waves and currents. Consequently erosion in these islands has been severe as two of the 21 islands have totally submerged and rest of the islands are also living dangerously. Climate change and sea level rise are also making the situation worse. If proper steps are not taken it is sure the Gulf of Mannar will lose all the islands one by one. Recommendation such as coral transplantation and deployment of artificial reefs to protect the island shore and increase the live coral cover are discussed in this paper.