Saviors of the ocean: the Gili Veshi centre on the Maldives

On a regular basis we want to call your attention on special initiatives of our Green Pearls® partners and focus on their commitment for nature and people. Today we’ll make a stop on the Maldives: one of our Green Pearls®, the Gili Lankanfushi, has opened a new and innovative marine research centre to deepen its engagement for a sound marine ecosystem.

Pollution of the ocean

We all know that the oceans are far from being healthy: due to global warming the water temperature rises which negatively affects many sensitive symbioses having developed over millions of years. A huge amount of the worldwide resulting plastic waste pollutes the sea and is being eaten by animals. Assuming it is food they starve with a „full“ stomach. Because of the great number of mineral deposits on the seabed (for example manganese nodules) there’s also a high risk of conveyor plants being built interfering top of all other problems with the ecosystem.

Diver’s paradise or coral cemetery?

Especially the Maldives subsist on their coral reefs – not only because many tourists come here for diving, but because the coral reefs can save the islands from the consequences of the climatic change and from sinking into the sea. In the last almost twenty years there were already three attacks of coral bleaching. One of the reasons is the rise of the water temperature which causes a change in the symbiosis of corals and seaweed. As a result the corals repel the seaweeds and, if the temperature is not sinking shortly afterwards enabling a symbiosis again, they die. Already a quarter of all coral reefs are considered to be destroyed. Furthermore waste and intense algae growth take away the sun light the corals desperately need to grow.

Helping the corals to grow

Since its foundation the Gili Lankanfushi is deeply engaged in the protection of the environment around the Maldives, namely with their coral lines project. The settlement of corals is supported in a two-step process: first corals are nursed in a rope nursery mid-water before they are being transplanted to the house reef of Gili Lankanfushi.

A central contact point for researchers and guests

On the 8th of June 2017, the World Oceans Day, the Gili Veshi (meaning „Gili environment“ in the local Dhivehi language), the first marine research centre on the island, was opened. The goal is to be the central contact point for all matters regarding sustainability, support research and offer tourists the opportunity to contribute. Working together with researchers from all over the world as well as with different NGOs as Manta Trust, Olive Ridley Turtle Project and the Shark Watch program, shows the holistic approach of the centre: the whole sensitive ecosystem is being monitored and analyzed to identify problems such as the onslaught of the invasive Crown of Thorn starfish or coral bleaches at an early stage.

Of course guests can also contribute, for example with participating in the monthly reef cleaning to remove oceanic waste, with planting carbon-sinking seagrass or by helping to attach corals on the lines of the coral nursery. But these are only some examples of the many possibilities to help. And of course you can always support the team of the Gili Veshi with donations.