Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa has begun the 2nd phase of its Coral Regeneration Programme, and partners with local authorities and Reefscapers to save the coral reef of the Maldives.
Reefscapers is appointed by the Maldivian government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as custodians of the coral colonies in the Gulhi Falhu lagoon, which were destined to be either relocated or destroyed during a lagoon reclamation project. The resort will assist in relocating these colonies to its lagoon, regenerating the house reef that had been damaged by a combination of natural events in the region.
The structures are built locally on the island of Fulhadhoo in Baa atoll, providing an alternative business source to its 250 inhabitants whose primary source of income is fishing.
The initiative is an important aspect of the resort’s commitment to protecting and preserving their environment through everyday operations, encompassing Marriott’s wider “Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction” campaign. The resort has also eliminated all single-use plastic straws and bottles, replacing them with environmentally sustainable paper straws and reusable glass bottles, as part of this sustainable focus.
According to a statement on the World Biodiversity Day in May, Mr. Sebastien said “We are already on track to transplant 50 coral frames and over 3,000 coral fragments around the resort. Next step we will need to carefully monitor the coral’s growth to adapt to the new environment. We transplanted around 15 species here, and there will be at least 10 species that will grow and create a new ecosystem. This is the main goal of having a successful coral propagation program.”
The resort also offers Interactive frame building activities led by experts for the guests to experience the continuity of marine wildlife while reducing one’s own coral reef footprint.
Sebastien Stradal, Marine Environment Consultant said “By building coral reefs, we can create awareness through guest enhancement and explain why corals are in danger and provide marine education.”
Reefscapers is founded by the Marine environment consultant Sebastien Stradal, and its coral propagation projects rank as some of the most successful in the world. To date, the team has transplanted more than six thousand coral frames using over 40 species of corals. The ecological benefits derived from the implementation of these new reefs are patent, contributing to the overall diversity of wildlife and increase the productivity of a reef flat.
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is a five-star resort private island resort in Furanafushi, which is located a 15-minute speedboat ride away from the International Airport. It offers 176 guest rooms designed to blend into the surrounding turquoise waters, pristine beaches and lush greenery
