A celebration of life: Acropora corals spawn!
For the first time in the history of Maldives, a research team witnessed and recorded the spawning of Acropora corals in the house reef of Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru and Angsana Maldives Ihuru.
The corals are probably the first of a new generation that arrived on the reef after the disastrous coral bleaching. Global warming in 1998 produced abnormally high water temperatures, which deprived the corals of essential nutrients and turned them stark white. Within two weeks, a century of coral growth was destroyed in Maldives and many other parts of the world.
Five years later, on 23 March 2003, several species of branching corals in the genus Acropora released thousands of bright red eggs and sperm bundles into the Indian Ocean. It is likely that similar spawning was also taking place around Maldives at the same time.
This phenomenal occurrence indicates that the corals have reached maturity and the team is optimistic that the Maldivian reefs will recover soon. As the new generation of coral colonies continues to grow, increased spawning is expected in the coming years.The research team embarked on this observation programme to determine when corals in Maldives spawn and how many juvenile corals would eventually settle on the Vabbinfaru and Ihuru reefs.
After spawning, coral larvae usually drift with the currents for at least four days before settling on nearby reefs. To monitor the arrival of juvenile corals on the house reef, the team placed small tiles around the reef bed to be collected for analysis. The data will provide a baseline for comparison with future years. Electronic temperature loggers were also placed on the reef monitor variations in seawater temperature every half an hour for the next two years.Local school children will have the opportunity to view footage of the coral spawning as part of the resorts' school outreach programme to create more environmental awareness in the community.
Details of the coral spawning programme were presented to the President of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, by Mr Azeez and Mr Francois Huet, Area General Manager of Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru and Angsana Maldives Ihuru, on 31 March 2003. Speaking at the presentation, President Maumoon commended and thanked the team members for their excellent work. |
