Bandos Maldives launches Coral Gardening Project

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To celebrate World Tourism Day, Bandos Maldives has launched a Coral Gardening Project for visitors.

“The Bandos house reef is one of the best in North Male’ Atoll and a point of pride for the resort. This initiative is in line with the company’s Environmental Stewardship core value”, the resort said in a press statement.

Hussein Shifau, Assistant Base Leader at Dive Bandos said: “We have studied the Bandos house reef growth and studies indicate that the coral gardening helps protect the reef and encourages growth sustainability.

The program allows guests to give back while on holiday by collecting broken, but living coral fragments from the sea bed and attaching them to island-made coral tables. The ‘coral propagation’ method is applied, where fragments of coral are transplanted to frames to create small but essential coral nursery areas.

“We are deeply committed to sustainable methods that help our marine environment,” said Ismail Rasheed, Resident Manager.

“All fines for damages to corals will be donated to the coral gardening program.”

Bandos Maldives has also signed the Biosphere Reserve Pledge and has allocated an area of around 800sqm of the house reef as a core biosphere reserve. According to the resort, this reserve will be instrumental in conservation and the promotion of biosphere sustainability solutions.

“Aquaculture is showing promise as an effective tool for restoring coral reefs, which are in worldwide decline. With the Bandos Maldives Coral Gardening program, a long-term plan is implemented to share learning experiences with guests, accelerate coral growth in the atoll reef, and ultimately ensure the future of this unique destination,” concludes the statement.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]