On the 27th October The Marine Research Centre in Male hosted the first Maldives Marine Science Symposium in collaboration with IUCN, Mangroves for the Future (UNDP) and the Maldives National University. It was a one day symposium that brought together researchers, NGOs, and resorts from across the Maldives for a common goal. The sharing of knowledge and experience contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment and resources.
The symposium was split onto 4 sessions with researchers presenting for 10mins and being questioned for 5mins. Not everyone was sticking to their allotted time but how do you cut a talk on vulnerable coral species down to 10mins?!? I would have been hours over my time. The whole day was a whirlwind of information from 2016 coral bleaching impacts, to coral-associated hydrozoans, manta foraging groups and women’s roles in management. We had a great day networking and working our brain cells, the discussions during breaks were as lively as the manta ray videos!
All of our data from coral reef surveys, turtle ID, manta ray ID, ghost nets, temperature logging and everything in between is sent to these research groups and is used to help in the understanding of our environment. We thoroughly look forward to the next symposium and any opportunities to collaborate with any research groups. Once our Marine Research Centre is open at Soneva Jani we can expand our reach even further!
Discover more: www.soneva.com