The Coral Project
Best Dives Maldives is leading a coral restoration project together with the Marine Discover Centre team at the CROSSROADS. The aim is to develop a project where by the corals can be induced to grow artificially. Artificial reefs are a form of active restoration aimed at increasing coral health, diversity and abundance. Once populated, these structures will provide an opportunity for guests to witness the growth of a new coral garden.
Coral may broken due to many different threats such as: large storms and waves or irresponsible divers and snorkelers. Corals are organisms that reproduce primarily asexually to grow larger or repair damaged areas. Thanks to this feature, it’s possible to grow new coral colonies from fragments (smaller or broken pieces of coral).
These broken corals, when rolling around the sand, have almost no chance of survival, and usually die. But, by securing these fragments in good growing conditions they can be rehabilitated and become a mature colony. The coral fragments will be attached on the structures by using cable-tie or underwater glue.
Active restoration is not a MAGIC BULLET: we have to consider restoration as an ongoing process over a time-scale of 10 – 30 years or even more. Each restoration site and project has its own unique set of circumstances to consider. All risks can never be fully avoided or mitigated. Studies show that the ability to recover for a reef already under stress, undoubtedly, takes a long time. Our long-term goal is to provide a sustainable regrowth project that can be monitored and maintained for years to come.