Sandies Bathala launches Coral Conservation Program

22 February, 2023

One of the best Maldives resort for snorkeling Sandies Bathala initiated a coral garden conservation program. This effort is in line with the resort’s pledge to prioritize ocean conservation and protect the natural environment for future generations.

Restoring coral reefs requires knowledge, planning and scale and the Werner Lau diving center' team of marine biologists have started the first stage of the coral conservation program by establishing a mid-water coral nursery. The next step will be to expand coral production to repopulate the reef.

Coral gardening is a two-step process in which coral fragments are grown in ideal conditions in the nursery before they are healthy enough to be out planted to the reef. This method allows for the production of thousands of new corals a year that have a higher chance of survival on the reef. To test and finetune the process, the biologists are closely monitoring the progress of corals growing on “Bathalantis”.

The coral cookie project seeks to actively engage guests by adopting and naming coral fragments. The resort repopulates shallow areas of the Bathala house reef by rescuing broken corals and attaching them to “Coral Cookies” before they are cemented to the reef together with guests. Participants receive not only a certificate and photos of the activity along with a better understanding of coral reef ecology and ways to support coral reef health.

The Sandies Bathala biologists are happy to give you a little tour of “Bathalantis” as the coral nursery can be visited by all diving and snorkelling guests. For more information, contact [email protected] or by contacting Marine Research Manager, Dr. Inga Dehnert at [email protected].