For some reefs that have already been damaged, we can assist coral reef recovery on a small scale. At Gili Lankanfushi resort in the Maldives, we are rehabilitating the coral reef by nursing coral on ropes (lines) (Levy et al., 2010) and later transplanting them onto degraded reef areas (Lindahl, 2003). Every rope is initially planted with 50 small, living coral fragments. We nurse the corals in the lagoon for one year and later transplant the ropes to One Palm Island reef if conditions are suitable. Over time we expect the corals get stronger, grow bigger and improve the health of the One Palm Island Reef.
Our project is a research study on the subject of coral reef rehabilitation science, and 75% of the proceeds from every Coral Line donated goes to our Gili SEAS (Social & Environmental Awareness and Sustainability) fund, allowing our property to do more for the locals and the environment. We are also able to take donations from guests who are staying at Gili Lankanfushi. Additionally, we have an online donation system so that anyone will be able to donate a coral line from any part of the world!
Go to the Coral Lines Blog to:
In March 2014, marine biologist Vaidotas Kirsys started the Coral Lines project and we became the first resort in Maldives to work on low-tech and high-efficiency coral reef recovery techniques that involve rope. Later Deborah Burn and Josie Chandler joined the team, and with their knowledge, help and ideas the project developed greatly. Continuing the efforts on the coral lines are:
Past Marine Biologists: Clare Baranowski and Emma Bell
Current Resident Marine Biologists: Sarah Davies and Tiana Wu
Coral Lines offers 4 things: Guest education during an unforgettable close-up encounter with coral; a contribution to coral reef rehabilitation science; a way to fund our social & environmental projects, and last but not least, the project helps one small coral reef to recover. The Coral Lines project is also about sharing our findings with everyone –
hopefully, giving a better understanding of how to grow coral to those working in this field.
One of the problems that science faces these days, is that researchers often do not share their findings until their project is finished (a paper is published). When it comes to coral reef restoration, to answer many questions, a research project would normally take several years (corals grow slowly).The question is; do we actually have that time to spare? We think, with the threats facing coral reefs becoming more imminent, the answer is ‘no’, and so we have decided to make our work open access and share our Coral Lines research project findings on a regular basis!
Coral Lines is a one-of-a-kind project in Maldives. As far as we know Coral Lines was the first reef rehabilitation project in Maldives which is not focused on profit, rather on science, and one of the very few coral restoration projects that shares the findings online, on an as-we-go basis. This enables us to build awareness within the general public as we work to illustrate our results and share our results with other scientists researching in the field. We hope that by sharing our research, both the positive and the negative, it might prevent the same mistakes happening in future projects, further improving the field of reef restoration.
Our Coral Reefs are incredibly important! The World Meteorological Organization stated that the wealth of goods and services that our coral reefs provide could have a combined worth of more than $30 billion each year! A healthy coral reef provides us with food, tourism, protection from storms and is even a source for new medicine! If the system is damaged, it important for us to try and reverse the damage. Please follow this link to learn more.
Reef Restoration and Rehabilitation is a relatively new branch of science which is practiced all around the world, using various methods. Please follow this link to learn more about the process we use at Gili Lankanfushi.
As with any project, the Coral Lines Project has encountered many challenges during both the planning and operational stages of the project. We feel it is important to share not only the successes of our project, but also the pitfalls and challenges we have faced. In this way, we hope to prevent others from making the same mistakes, and provide solutions for others in the field to freely use.
Following the global mass bleaching event of 2016, it is important to understand what coral bleaching is, and what the consequences are for the reef, as well as for our nursery.
