A project named "ReefSeed" has been launched to spawn corals using an aquaculture system.
This 3-year project, initiated with the aim of restoring the Maldives' reefs, is a collaboration between the Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and is funded by the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP). To mark the commencement of the project's practical work in the Maldives, a special event named "Reef Seed Demonstration Day" was held yesterday in K. Maniyafushi. The project was inaugurated by the Minister of Fisheries, Ahmed Shiyam.
Under the ReefSeed project, a special aquaculture container system named the "ReefSeed System" was developed in Australia to breed corals using coral eggs and larvae. This system has now been installed at the Mariculture Research and Training Facility in K. Maniyafushi. The Ministry of Fisheries stated that preparations are underway to begin using the ReefSeed system between February and May, which is the general coral spawning period in the Maldives, and to experiment with reef restoration through the system. The system will use aquaculture techniques to grow coral eggs from the larval stage until they are large enough to settle on reefs, and then transfer them to designated reefs. Research will also be conducted to determine the potential for large-scale reef restoration using this technology.
Prior to the commencement of the ReefSeed project's practical work in the Maldives, MMRI staff were trained in 2024 at the AIMS facility in Australia on coral spawning, breeding, and reef restoration techniques, as well as the use of the ReefSeed system. During the "Reef Seed Demonstration Day" event held in K. Maniyafushi, representatives from government agencies and NGOs involved in reef protection and restoration were familiarized with the ReefSeed system and provided with information on planned future activities.
