Artificial Coral Reefs

 
 
 

Natural disasters and human activities threaten many coral reefs in Maldives, calling for efforts to find a way to promote their regeneration or even new growth. An increasingly popular solution to combat reef loss is through designing artificial coral reefs.

 A designed reef is a man-made reef created by placing artificial structures underwater and stimulating the growth of corals on them. The shape and size of such reefs can be custom designed to suit the needs of the client and thus the name, “Designed Reef”.

Designed reefs are both ecologically and economically beneficial. They serve as a catalyst for reef recovery by increasing live coral cover, serve as important habitat for many juvenile fish, and attract other charismatic species such as colourful rays and large fish. Water Solutions employs a cost-effective and sustainable approach to designing reefs. Only already broken coral from the sea floor are transplanted onto the artificial reef, preventing damage to existing corals within a reef.

Our approach and methodology

Water Solutions follows a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to designing artificial reefs. Broken coral fragments are collected from the lagoon bottom and attached strategically to artificial structures underwater, which serve as a secure base for the corals to attach to. With this method, habitats that lack coral patches or destroyed reef areas can be rehabilitated. Growing under favourable conditions, these corals enjoy a high survival rate and grow quickly. In a very short period, the entire structure gets covered with live corals to the extent that the structure itself is not visible.

our expertise

Currently we can design a wide variety of reefs to suit the requirements of a particular resort. Our thorough approach ensures that both the needs of the client and all environmental requirements are met through the following steps:

  • Initial assessment

  • Technical feasibility

  • Concept development

  • Detail assessment and surveying

  • Environmental Impact Assessment

  • Implementation of the project

  • Monitoring

  • Management and continuous monitoring

Case Study - Coco Palm Boduhithi, North male’ atoll

In Coco Palm Boduhithi Resort in north Male’ Atoll, we designed an artificial reef underneath the spa, along the walkway jetty and below the water villas. The goal was to design a reef in areas where there were no corals to increase the local coral population and attract fish.

One of our focus areas was the waiting lounge in the spa, which has a beautiful open circular jetty through which guests have a view of the water below. We developed part of the artificial reef here, attracting colourful local reef fish nearby for guests to watch as they relaxed.

A similar structure was designed for beneath the water villas. This newly designed reef can be seen while standing on the walkway jetty as well as while snorkelling. Our long-term goal was to create a reef in the shape of the “Coco Palm Logo” within the lagoon of the Escape Water Villas.

Case Study - Constance Halaveli Resort, North Ari Atoll

In Constance Halaveli Resort in north Ari Atoll, we constructed a steel structure in the shape of the hull of a local boat (Dhoni) to help corals to grow. The structure was placed in an area of the reef with no coral cover. The objective of this project was to create a healthy reef and stimulate the creation of a marine biodiversity hot spot in the reef.

Artificial Coral Reef - Constance Halaveli Resort

The following is a short video documenting the process of building an artificial coral reef at Constance Halaveli Resort, North Ari Atoll.