Set up in a corner of the lagoon, we populated the coral nursery with ‘Corals of Opportunity’ which are coral fragments broken off naturally. As these corals are unlikely to survive on the reef if left alone, our marine biologists attach them to suitable substrates so they may grow into a clone of the mother colony. These fragments are closely monitored for growth while predators and competing algae are regularly removed.
We also introduced an artificial reef structure – coral frames – which creates a new environment for many reef creatures to make use of. The coral frames are located at our newly introduced coral nursery area in the lagoon here at The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.
Corals collected for the frames are affixed using cable ties. Eventually, the corals grow their own bases onto the structure and the cable ties become inert inside the corals. Over time, these coral fragments grow into mature colonies, covering the frame entirely. With sustainability being key, our marine biologists have adopted scientifically tested and ‘best practice’ methods throughout the reef regeneration project, while carrying out damage mitigation works for existing corals.
We hope these frames will continue to be a talking point for guests here and inspire them to become involved in our coral frame adoption program. Not only can guests be actively involved with our marine biologist/s with the planting of the frames, they will also each receive an adoption certificate, a dedication plaque on the frame and the coral frame planting photographs. Updates on the corals’ growth will be sent to participating guests once every 6 months.