Eco-conscious, soft-luxury island resort, Nova Maldives, known for its commitment to sustainable initiatives, announced the launch of an enhanced coral restoration initiative around its house reef. This latest endeavour builds upon the island resort’s existing coral plantation programme, allowing guests to safeguard the local marine ecosystem through direct, hands-on participation.

Taking an innovative approach to increase the survival rates of freshly-planted coral colonies and to mitigate the effects of rising ocean temperatures, the island resort is introducing a newly completed depth-adjustable coral nursery installation. Over the next few weeks, Nova’s resident marine biology team will lead multiple planting sessions, to plant hardy coral fragments collected from the surrounding waters onto the nursery structures. These coral “seeds” will grow and thrive in the protected nursery environment before eventually being transplanted to designated repopulation sites on Nova’s house reef, which will one day become the backbone of the local reef ecosystem.

Coral bleaching refers to the phenomenon where corals lose their vibrant colours and turn white, which occurs when corals begin to lose symbiotic algae within their tissue, which is conducive to their survival. This happens when corals experience thermal stress, induced by rising ocean temperatures due to climate change.

“This April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed a repeat of the 2016 warming event, and our oceans are currently experiencing their fourth bleaching event. Our new construction is expected to decrease mortality among infant coral buds throughout the early stages of colony growth, giving them a better chance to flourish and develop into maturity.” said Toby Corren, Resident Marine Biologist at Nova Maldives. “We hope to take direct action to cultivate the next generation of corals and support the vibrant marine ecosystem that the Maldives is so well known for. ”

The initiative comes as a thoughtful upgrade to the existing coral plantation programme, which invites guests to plant their own coral frame as a way to support local marine ecosystem around the island. Nova’s resident marine biologist carefully monitors their growth thereafter, and also provides bi-annual snapshots of them to guests so that they can track the growth of their corals long after they left the island.

As an island resort committed to taking concrete steps to support conservation on a wider scale, Nova has spearheaded a number of other related initiatives every year, since Nova’s opening in 2022. This year, Nova partnered with renowned Maldivian diving instructor Afaa Abdulla to host educational briefings on whale shark biology, manta ray conservation, and coral bleaching, aiming to raise awareness during World Ocean’s Day. Additionally, an inclusive event was organised on the local island of Dhanghethi, allowing school children to learn more about the vital marine environment surrounding their home.

Besides being recognised as an accredited “Safe Manta Tour Operator” by Swim with Mantas, the island resort has also partnered with the Maldivian Whale Shark Research Program (MWSRP) to raise awareness about their vital work in preserving these gentle giants through joint excursions and workshops. At Nova, guests have the opportunity to swim alongside these gentle giants year-round, making it an essential bucket list experience for anyone visiting the island.

To learn more about the island resort’s sustainability efforts and meaningful initiatives, please visit Nova’s website.