Coral Restoration in the Maldives

Soneva Foundation

(LFF discretionary grant)

Nestled in the heart of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is a captivating archipelago renowned for its stunning underwater vistas. The coral reefs here, vital to marine biodiversity, provide a habitat for a staggering 25% of sea life.

At the forefront of environmental stewardship in the Maldives is the Soneva Foundation, dedicated to initiatives that benefit the environment, society, and economy. Soneva Foundation Coral Restoration focuses on reviving the coral reef ecosystems, establishing a thriving coral hub. Located at the AquaTerra science centre on Soneva Fushi, the Foundation operates the largest coral restoration facility in the Indian Ocean, equipped with both in-situ and ex-situ capabilities.

Starting in 2022 with a one-hectare coral nursery, one of the world's largest utilising Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT) on the outer edge of the house reef, the Soneva Foundation has expanded its efforts. It established the Maldives' first Coral Spawning and Rearing Lab at AquaTerra, replicating the natural environment of the reef to enable coral spawning. In addition, the Foundation introduced 30 micro-fragmenting tanks, a technique that involves breaking healthy coral colonies into tiny pieces, nurturing the fragments, and then transplanting them onto damaged reefs.

Furthermore, and with support from the Levine Family Foundation, the Foundation is implementing v-shaped raceways to hold coral fragments and subject them to stress tests in conditions close to nature before outplanting them. This "assisted evolution" approach aims to cultivate corals with robust genes, creating stronger, more diverse offspring capable of thriving in a changing environment.

Based on these initiatives, the Soneva Foundation aims to eventually produce approximately 150,000 coral fragments annually.