Among our many green initiatives at The Nautilus Maldives, we are energising our efforts for coral reef conservation. Lots of momentum is being generated by the resident marine biologist at The Nautilus, Emily Wilson. Alongside the incredibly supportive and experienced team at the dive centre, AquaNautica, Emily has implemented a novel approach for regenerating corals in the lagoon at Thyme beach.
Below, Emily shares more about this exciting development.
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“The Coral Chronicles” by Emily Wilson
Hot off the press: Starting a coral nursery
The Nautilus launched a coral nursery on 3rd March 2023; two metal poles were dug into the sand, and ropes were drawn from end to end. Here, the baby corals swing in the gentle currents of the shallow lagoon waters.
Torbe, Head of Water Sports and kitesurfing fanatic, describes how corals are collected for the nursery: “We first locate a large coral colony, a ‘mother’ coral, from which we can remove several fragments of approximately 5 cm in length. We choose the bigger corals to ensure the mother colony can keep growing.”
We prefer collecting corals from the island’s lagoon for the project as they can withstand higher temperatures. This ensures our future stock of coral is better adapted for increasingly warmer oceans. Then, when the El Nino weather cycle returns, the nursery corals should have greater thermal tolerance and resistance during a bleaching event.
Guests involved at the forefront of science
The project commenced with the help of two of our valued guests from Great Britain who share our passion for coral reef longevity. As the first contributor to The Nautilus’s brand new restoration project, these guests expressed their enthusiasm about being a part of the experimental design and at the “forefront of science”.
On 7th March, a second rope was added to the nursery by a media specialist from Germany. He felt impacted by our team’s motivation for creating awareness about the importance of coral reef conservation, and he was deeply inspired to make his mark alongside our restoration efforts.
These two ropes now swing happily, side by side, in the clear aquamarine waters of the lagoon, tended to by our dedicated AquaNautica team. The team cleans algae from the ropes every three to five days to prevent overgrowing seaweed that can smother and suffocate corals.
Successful attachment
Just like the beginning of a child’s life, attachment is an important aspect of a coral’s transition to adulthood. Coral attachment is the process of a coral growing over a hard substrate; essentially, the coral is building its house foundations.
So, when we discovered on 20th April – almost two months into the nursery project – that many of the fragments were growing and showing signs of good health, we were ecstatic. The corals attached to the rope in such a short space of time. Torbe believes that the project design played a crucial role in this success: “The team located an ideal site for the nursery; the lagoon is protected from strong waves, yet there is still adequate water flow.”
During the last cleaning session, we conducted a monitoring survey of the fragments and are happy to report that the vast majority of corals were considered healthy and growing. Just two were stressed and bleaching, and unfortunately, one fragment was dead. Overall, the current survival rate at the coral nursery is a satisfying 97%.
Damsel in defence
In more exciting news, a local fish resident has taken a liking to the metal pole and established a quaint home for itself inside. Now there is a protector and manager of the project 24/7, warding off any corallivorous (coral-eating) fish that pose a threat to the baby corals.
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Witness the spectacular coral reefs of the Maldives – and join in our efforts to preserve these natural wonders. Get in touch at [email protected] or talk to us at +960 730 98 18 to begin crafting your journey.