Support Soneva Foundation Coral Restoration
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Soneva Foundation Coral Restoration
The Soneva Foundation has chosen Soneva Fushi to establish a thriving coral hub in the Maldives. Soneva Foundation Coral Restoration aims to restore precious coral reef systems. Operating from the AquaTerra science center at Soneva Fushi and oversees the largest coral restoration project in the Indian Ocean, equipped with both in-situ and ex-situ capabilities. Facilities include a one-hectare coral nursery, one of the world’s largest utilising Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT) at the outer edge of the house reef, Maldives’ first Coral Spawning and Rearing, 30-micro-fragmenting tanks and V-shaped raceways. Soneva Foundation aims to produces up to 150,000 coral fragments per year.
View The Coral Nursery MapHow We Do It
Explore the World of Corals
Why are corals important?
Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems on our planet. They are home to 25% of all marine species and are a source of food for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. They also protect coastal communities from erosion and high waves.
Fascinating creatures
Corals are animals too! And very interesting ones. They work together with algae to produce their own mineral as a calcium carbonate skeleton. You will always see a coral as a colony; many individual polyps (like upside-down jellyfish) combine to create the colony of corals that we swim over.
What is the worry?
Besides local disturbances and pollution, coral reefs suffer greatly from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification. In the Maldives, a country that has little influence on large greenhouse gas emitting countries, the effects of a degrading coral reef will be felt greatly.
Special restoration technique
Soneva Coral Restoration deploys a variety of coral restoration techniques. The aim is to scale up coral restoration and create diverse and resilient corals.
Mineral Accretion Technology
Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT) channels low voltage electricity through the coral tables. As electrons flow, calcium carbonate deposits accumulate on the structures, helping the corals grow up to four times faster than other propagation methods and significantly increasing survival rates.
Micro-fragmentation
Micro-fragmentation, a groundbreaking method, involves delicately breaking healthy coral colonies into minuscule pieces, nurturing them in controlled micro-fragmenting tanks until they flourish, and subsequently transplanting them onto damaged reefs. This innovative approach not only accelerates coral growth but also augments genetic diversity, creating a protective environment crucial for successful coral restoration.
Coral Spawning and Rearing Lab
The Coral Spawning and Rearing Lab replicates on land the environmental conditions necessary for coral spawning, meticulously controlling parameters such as light, temperature, moon cycles and more. This allows for increased fertilization and recruitment rates of corals in these controlled conditions. They are then grown in the tanks and subsequently transplanted back onto damaged reefs.
More Soneva Foundation Projects
Mozambique Forest Restoration
Hornbill Reintroduction
Coral Propagation
