Soneva Fushi hosts global experts for coral reef restoration dialogue

Recognising the urgent plight of coral reefs in the Maldives and around the world, the Soneva Foundation Coral Restoration programme convened a landmark dialogue from January 9 to 12, 2025, at Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The event brought together leading coral scientists, marine conservationists and innovative finance experts to chart transformative solutions for reef restoration and regeneration on a global scale.

Co-facilitated by Professor Callum Roberts from the University of Exeter and Karen Sack, Executive Director of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), the three-day Soneva Dialogue on Coral Reef Restoration and Resilience explored the impact of climate change on coral ecosystems and highlighted groundbreaking restoration techniques being trialled at Soneva Fushi and beyond.

The Dialogue culminated in a joint declaration, emphasising the critical need for swift and large-scale action. International experts proposed innovative financial mechanisms, ranging from blue bonds to insurance models, to unlock the resources necessary for coral reef regeneration. The declaration underscored that without bold interventions, the world risks losing the majority of its tropical coral reefs within decades.

Professor Callum Roberts commented: “Scientific research and practical experience tell us that now is the time for a shift in emphasis from restoration to regeneration, pairing resource-intensive local projects with large-scale ocean management and protection to promote reef recovery and resilience. Coral restoration has been largely backward-looking, aiming to put back what has been lost. It must now pivot to being future-focussed, searching for and developing mixes of corals and other marine life that will keep reefs functional and resilient under changed future conditions.”

The ORRAA’s Karen Sack said: “Corals are in crisis worldwide, and if we are to have any chance of saving reefs at any scale we must rapidly advance regeneration efforts. This requires the urgent scaling up of finance to fund these vital natural treasures. If we want coral reefs to survive, we are going to have to find novel ways to pay for them. The ORRAA looks forward to working with our members, partners and the scientific community to take the ideas developed at the Soneva Dialogue forward.”

The Soneva Foundation Coral Restoration programme’s lead scientist Dr Johanna Leonhardt added: “As a coral biologist, I see the tragic impacts of marine heatwaves first-hand with bleaching leading to substantial coral degradation here in the Maldives. However, we are not about to give up on this paramount ecosystem – we have a coral spawning lab, outplanting efforts and coral nurseries, and are fully focused on regenerating resilient corals so that they are not lost forever.”

The Soneva Dialogue declaration reaffirms that in recent years reefs around the world have lost half their living coral cover, and failing to limit global warming to 1.5°Celcius will accelerate this loss. However, it also offers hope, calling for bold and innovative approaches to sustain reef resilience in the face of climate threats. Financing on a scale never before attempted will be vital to regenerating these invaluable ecosystems.