Coral propagation workshop begins at Jumeirah Vittaveli, organised by Best Dives Maldives

[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=”” bg_type=”” parallax_style=”” bg_image_new=”” layer_image=”” bg_image_repeat=”” bg_image_size=”” bg_cstm_size=”” bg_img_attach=”” parallax_sense=”” bg_image_posiiton=”” animation_direction=”” animation_repeat=”” video_url=”” video_url_2=”” u_video_url=”” video_opts=”” video_poster=”” u_start_time=”” u_stop_time=”” viewport_vdo=”” enable_controls=”” bg_override=”” disable_on_mobile_img_parallax=”” parallax_content=”” parallax_content_sense=”” fadeout_row=”” fadeout_start_effect=”” enable_overlay=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_pattern=”” overlay_pattern_opacity=”” overlay_pattern_size=”” overlay_pattern_attachment=”” multi_color_overlay=”” multi_color_overlay_opacity=”” seperator_enable=”” seperator_type=”” seperator_position=”” seperator_shape_size=”” seperator_svg_height=”” seperator_shape_background=”” seperator_shape_border=”” seperator_shape_border_color=”” seperator_shape_border_width=”” icon_type=”” icon=”” icon_size=”” icon_color=”” icon_style=”” icon_color_bg=”” icon_border_style=”” icon_color_border=”” icon_border_size=”” icon_border_radius=”” icon_border_spacing=”” icon_img=”” img_width=”” ult_hide_row=”” ult_hide_row_large_screen=”” ult_hide_row_desktop=”” ult_hide_row_tablet=”” ult_hide_row_tablet_small=”” ult_hide_row_mobile=”” ult_hide_row_mobile_large=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]A four-day workshop on coral propagation began at Jumeirah Vittaveli on 30 October. The event was organised by Best Dives Maldives, a local diving and water-sports company, in partnership with the resort and the German Oceanographic Museum who provided technical support through its experts; Dr. Nicole Kube and Mirko Becker.

Dr. Nicole Kube, a marine biologist and an aquarium curator at the museum, started the two hour evening seminar with a statement of its aim: learning how to breed corals. The seminar covered three main areas: an introduction to corals, coral reefs and the physical restoration of reefs.

“It is very important to know the biology behind something like coral restoration,” Kube said. “A lot of propagation projects fail precisely because people have an inadequate understanding of how it works biologically.”

She added: “Coral planting’s a lot like gardening, you can’t just leave your corals to grow by themselves. They have to be tended to as you would a plant.”

Best Dives Maldives’ Director Ahmed Razee was very grateful to Jumeirah for their wholehearted support. “The resort was very keen to help us out,” he said. “They understand that we’re an island nation and greatly dependent on our reefs for protection, for our livelihood. The health of our reefs is inextricably tied to the health of our economy.”

He also revealed plans to hold such workshops in other resorts with whom the company is affiliated. “We hope to transfer their [the experts’] knowledge to our team members in the resorts,” he said. “So we’ll have the capacity to conduct such programmes on our own in the future.”

This evening’s seminar was attended by Best Dives Maldives’ employees who work at the dive centre at Vittaveli as well as some staff from the resort. It will be followed by another presentation on the reproduction of corals, and a series of practical applications for the staff.

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