  |
 |
 |
In the Maldives, reef regeneration programs play a vital role in
environmental conservation, as high water temperatures catastrophically
damaged the Maldivian coral reefs in 1998. The effects were immediately
visible: the corals were deprived of life-giving nutrients and turned
stark white, leading scientists to refer to the phenomenon as
"bleaching". It was reported that around 70% of corals were bleached,
with about 80% of Acropora communities dead. Within two weeks, the coral
holocaust wiped out a century of coral growth.
Coral transplantation has aided in the recovery process on the reefs at
Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru and Angsana Maldives Ihuru. The impact
of Ihuru's Barnacle Project is particularly important. The project was
the first of its kind in the Maldives and received international
recognition in 1998 when it was conferred the 'Theodore M. Sperry Award'
by the
Society for Ecological Restoration,
a highly esteemed accolade honoring pioneers and innovators in the field
of environmental conservation. Developed by German architect Professor
Wolf Hilbertz and Dr. Tom Goreau, President of
Global Coral Reef Alliance, the
patented project is currently under the supervision of resident
marine conservation team at the resorts.
Corals are transplanted by hand onto a man-made barnacle steel structure
immersed in some 20 feet of seawater. To speed up coral growth the
barnacle is electrically charged with a safe low-voltage current, which
is powered by solar cells. This technology not only contributes
immensely to Ihuru's reef restoration efforts but also enhances the
biodiversity of the underwater world by attracting more species of
marine life like reef fish, nudibranchs (or sea slugs), sea turtles and
even the endangered Napoleon Wrasse fish to its thriving marine habitat.
Observations made over the past few years have found that the Barnacle
has greatly accelerated the rate of coral growth. Compared to
neighboring reefs, corals on the Barnacle grow faster. The increased
growth rates don't just apply to species such as Montipora, Favia and
Porites, but also to massive corals like the Acropora (Staghorn Coral),
which typically take longer to cultivate.
 |
|
|
