The Coral Project
Best Dives Maldives together with the Coral Doctors, a team of divers and aquarists with the scientific support from the German Oceanographic Museum of Stralsund have been implementing a coral regeneration program in all its partner resorts. The main goal of the project is to propagate the growth of corals through replanting using different methods. Through this program we aim to create an authentic reef habitat which can help to enrich and develop the natural reefs on the island. Guests are more than welcome to help us to replant the coral fragments and get the chance to witness the growth of a new coral garden.
The coral reefs of the Maldives are in constant threat due to extreme weather condition and careless human activities underwater. An active reef restoration project will help in countering the damage on the coral reefs. A coral is an animal that requires clean, clear warm water, and food in the form of microscopic algae found in tropical waters in order to survive. It is possible to replant broken corals that can be found underwater or rolling around the sand to create a new coral garden.
Best Dives has been using stone pile and coral frame methods to replant the coral fragments. The coral is attached by using a cable-tie or a glue in the frames and stone piles and is usually done above water together with some guests on the island. The frames and stone piles will be carried out and placed underwater. By giving the newly planted corals good conditions and ample space to grow there is a huge chance that they will become a mature colony.
The coral regeneration program is a continuing process that requires constant monitoring and experimentation to find out what works best in different types of environment. Each island and each restoration site has its own unique set of circumstances to consider, and trial and error is a part of the process. This project will take a long time before we see substantial growth, Best Dives is committed to follow through what has been started in order to care for and protect the environment.