Celebrating what’s considered by many to be our greatest asset on the planet, World Oceans Day falls on June 8 again this year. To mark the occasion, we’re highlighting three unique efforts to give back and preserve our oceans all year long, from coral preservation in the middle of the Indian Ocean to releasing turtles in Thailand and an underwater museum in the Great Barrier Reef.
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort has entered into a new partnership and sustainability project with Reefscapers Marine Environmental Consultancy. This is being touted as the most advanced coral reef regeneration program in the world.
The plight is to efficiently restore degraded reefs and unproductive sandy sea beds and reef flats. The initiative involves long-term monitoring and maintenance from a resident marine biologist and features guest-oriented activities to support the environmental efforts including snorkeling, marine life education classes for adults and children and opportunities to sponsor coral frames for reef regeneration.
Reefscapers is an independent marine environmental consultancy that develops marine biology programs for island-based resorts in the Maldives with over 15 years of experience in coral propagation, sea turtle rehabilitation, ornamental aquaculture and coastal protection.
Their pioneering coral frame techniques give them the ability to offer the most advanced propagation programs that rank as some of the most successful in the world. To date, they have transplanted more than 9000 coral frames (covering 4 hectares) using over 40 species of corals, which represents more than half a million corals. The ecological benefits derived from the implementation of these new reefs are patented. Acting as refuge areas for animal post-larvae and source of spawn for the coral species propagated, they contribute to the overall diversity and increase the productivity of a reef flat.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Reefscapers on such an important environmental sustainability initiative that also allows our valued guests to join us and help make a lasting difference,” says Vincent Pauchon, general manager of St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. “The main project is the installation of the frames with corals around the resort to develop our house reef. A senior member of Reefscapers will be visiting the island twice a year to monitor the process while our resident marine biologist, Hazel Araujo, will stay with us permanently to support long-term maintenance, special educational classes for children, teenagers and adults and guest sponsors for the coral frames.”
“Each transplanted and deployed coral frame will enter into a specific monitoring plan developed by our team,” says Sebastien Stradal, marine consultant at Reefscapers. “During the entire phase, each frame has a number tag and is mapped on a satellite QGIS interactive map. The frames are entered into a database linked to a website to provide us with details including the date of transplantation, GPS coordinates, depth, coral species, health, sponsors and more.”
Sponsors also have the option to display their dedication on the website and engrave it on a plastic tag provided by Reefscapers which will be attached to the frame. The resident marine biologist will send regular updates and photographs to sponsors every six months at the minimum and upload them to a dedicated Reefscapers subsite.
Underwater Art that Preserves
The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) will be opening its new Ocean Sentinel snorkel trail on June 8, 2023. This fascinating new underwater art installation series is located in Townsville, a coastal city in Northeastern Queensland bordering the Great Barrier Reef. This underwater museum inspires thought-provoking interaction with the area’s natural resources, encouraging conservation, restoration, and education.
The first sculpture to be included in their collection, Ocean Siren, debuted in 2019. Since then, primary artist Jason DeCaires Taylor has added several underwater sculptures. He is world-renowned for his site-specific pieces which are mostly found submerged in tidal marine environments, with many sites accessible for tourists to explore by snorkeling or diving.
Taylor often uses his sculptures to advocate for environmental activism. The Ocean Sentinel is his newest installation, to be placed on barren stretches of sand in the John Brewer Reef. It is a series of eight sculptures, each standing at roughly seven feet tall. Made of high-grade, low-carbon concrete, the sculptures are earth-friendly and reinforced with marine stainless steel.
These structures are designed to be colonized by local marine life, so in years to come different species will change the appearance of these pieces. The sculptures are modeled after marine scientists and conservationists, depicting human figures synthesized with marine forms. The resulting hybrid figures represent the protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
Releasing Turtles and Baby Sharks
Each Spring, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas release young turtles and juvenile bamboo sharks back into the ocean. It’s an inspiring event that should be on anyone’s bucket list.
Anantara’s serene Layan and Mai Khao Phuket beaches offer secluded stretches of sand and sea, which provides the perfect runways for the young sea dwellers’ release back into the ocean.
The best time to release them is at dusk during Songkran (Thai New Year), between 5 pm and 6:30 pm, between April 13th and 14th at Mai Khao Beach and Layan Beach so you can plan for next year. Guests of both Anantara Phuket resorts are encouraged to sponsor the release of either an endangered turtle or vulnerable bamboo shark. The official ceremonies consist of releasing 20 green sea turtles ranging from 12 to 15 months and 20 juvenile bamboo sharks along the beaches where both resorts are located.
Sponsorship supports the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation (MKMTF) which was founded in 2002 by Minor Hotels (the parent company of Anantara), and its partner, Phuket Marine Biology Centre (PMBC).
Endangered marine turtles migrate across the world’s oceans but return home each year to the beach where they were born, to mate and lay new eggs. Breeding season in Phuket is between November and February. From egg to adult, sea turtles face many threats such as vulnerability to sea birds, monitor lizards, climate change, marine debris entanglement and hunting. Almost 90% of all hatchlings don’t reach adulthood. MKMTF helps to rejuvenate the turtle population of Thailand by collecting as many laid eggs as possible, which are then taken to the PMBC hatchery where the baby turtles are protected and kept for a year to improve their chances of survival. Over 7,000 have been released since the project began.
Bamboo sharks became vulnerable a few years ago due to their popularity with fish collectors and exotic food eaters. Pollution and overfishing also pose a threat to their survival. The Bamboo Shark breeding program, also led by the PMBC, helps hatch collected eggs in the shark nursery, rather than in the open sea where they are exposed to predators. After nine months in the nursery, more than 200 bamboo sharks are released annually. Bamboo sharks, native to Thailand and harmless to humans, are amongst the smallest of sharks, growing to only one meter in length. Their presence in shallow reefs is essential as they help keep the reef ecosystem in balance by regulating reef populations, allowing for smaller, algae-grazing fish to keep coral reefs healthy
Learn more about the life of a turtle at the rehabilitation and education center next door to Anantara Mai Khao. There is no entry fee and visitors may even be able to assist in feeding the rescued injured turtles housed at the center.
