Pasikuda & Kalkudah is located in the Batticaloa district on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. The area is primarily a shallow coastal shelf site including two bays of <50 m depth and deeper offshore waters. A large perennial stream, the Maduru Oya, drains into the area from the Valaichchenai Lagoon (Silva et al. 2013). The area is characterised by large areas of remnant mangrove vegetation along the coastline. Relatively undisturbed mangroves and lagoon habitats are found within the Elephant Point headland which sits within the area (Blue Resources Trust unpubl. data 2024).

The Kayankerni coral reef, part of the Kayankerni Marine Sanctuary, is a nearshore reef that extends from Vaharai in the north to Kalkudah in the south. It has a depth of 5–8 m with the shallowest areas being exposed at low tide. The fringing reef lagoon and nearshore areas consist of isolated coral colonies, coral rock, algal mats, and seagrass meadows. Further offshore, isolated reefs and outcrops can be found at depths of 10–15 m (Perera 2019). Isolated fringing reefs are known to occur in parts of Kalkudah Bay, and the rest of the area is primarily composed of sandy substrates with isolated boulders and soft coral.

The area encompasses the Kayankerni Marine Sanctuary (Perera 2019).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthopelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 100 m based on the bathymetry of the area.