Maldives coral reef restoration project

Did you know that coral reefs are of immense importance to the fishing and tourism industries in the Maldives? That a quarter of all marine life live among corals and rely on them for food and home? That corals protect the coastline from storm damage and improve water quality by acting as a filter? That 60% of the world's coral reefs are threatened by human activities?

Therefore, it is extremely important to protect corals from anthropogenic threats such as pollution, global warming and human activities.

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The essence of the project

Reefscapers (originally known as Seamarc) is an independent consulting company dedicated to the restoration of coral reefs in the Maldives and around the world. The company was founded in 2000 by French oceanographer Thomas Le Berre and marine biologist Marie Salem.

After conducting a series of studies and studying methods of protecting and restoring coral reefs, Thomas developed a revolutionary, groundbreaking coral frame technique that is now adopted not only in the Maldives, but throughout the world.

The Reefscapers team consists of approximately 20 in-house marine biologists who are resident in the Maldives. During the company's activity, they have placed more than 8,500 coral frames in the ocean, containing half a million individual coral fragments. In addition, in 2011, Reefscapers established the Maldives' first Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Its specialists cured about 300 individuals, which were then successfully returned to their natural habitats.

In 2020, Reefscapers, together with Sheraton Maldives and the government of the country, took part in a large-scale project. Within two months, activists moved healthy corals from the Guli Falhu industrial area and created what is today considered the largest coral structure in the Maldives.

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How do I get involved?

Thanks to the Reefscapers organization, anyone can contribute to the protection of coral reefs even remotely. This can be done in two ways: by purchasing a coral fragment for $ 5 each to build a shared scaffold with other like-minded people, or by funding the creation of your own coral scaffold.

In the first case, after the required amount has been collected, everyone who has made their feasible contribution to the creation of a common framework will receive a certificate with a web link and a unique number. Project participants will be able to observe the growth of their corals by visiting the Reefscapers website.

Those who prefer the second method will need to take the following steps:

Choose the desired frame size from several options: small (designed for 41 corals), medium (65 corals) and large (108 corals). It is also possible to create a frame in the form of a heart.
Select the desired island for the implementation of your project. Locations available today include Landaa Giraavaru , Kuda Huraa and Furanafushi.
Report your details to the Reefscapers team.
Pay for the project. Depending on the size of the frame, the cost of such a service varies from $ 170 to $ 500.

You can select a frame and pay for the service at reefscapers.com/coral-frame-sponsorship/.

After payment has been made, the marine biologist will start creating the frame according to your order. And you will regularly (about once every 6 months) receive a photo report from the company about the growth of your pets.

Fun fact: On November 20, 2021, a team of marine biologists at the Sheraton Full Moon Resort & Spa recorded such an interesting event as coral spawning. This phenomenon, similar to a slowed down blizzard underwater, will give rise to a new coral colony and is an excellent indicator of the success of a coral reef restoration project.

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

Which resorts are involved in the project?

Over the years, Reefscapers has partnered with several resort hotels. Among them:

Resorts running the Reefscapers program offer guests the opportunity to create their own coral lagoon accommodation, conduct educational events and guided tours for guests to learn about the fragility of the Maldives ecosystem and the measures being taken to protect it.

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