Dhiraagu Backs Community Coral Restoration in Dharavandhoo

Dhiraagu has partnered with Soneva Conservation and Sustainability Maldives to support a community coral-restoration programme in Dharavandhoo, bringing technical training and a planned coral nursery to the Baa Atoll island.

The Dhirun Community Coral Regeneration Programme will work with the existing Muraka Farm restoration team and local residents. Dhiraagu’s announcement says the programme will provide practical training in coral restoration and monitoring, establish a community nursery and involve young people in marine conservation.

Dharavandhoo lies within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, close to Hanifaru Bay. Soneva’s conservation team is based at Soneva Fushi, also in Baa Atoll.

Training Followed by Planting and Monitoring

Soneva Conservation and Sustainability Maldives has described four phases for the project, beginning with discussions with local stakeholders and work to build community participation.

The second stage will provide land-based theoretical and practical training for stakeholders and schoolchildren. That will be followed by the launch of the restoration project and a community planting event.

The final phase covers monitoring and maintenance of both the nursery and the sites where corals are planted. The organisation says the programme is supported by Dhiraagu and the Coral Regeneration Co-Lab.

Dhirun means “revive” in Dhivehi. The initiative is described as an upcoming project in Soneva’s announcement, with training and continued maintenance included alongside planting.

Part of a Wider Coral Programme

Soneva’s coral-regeneration programme uses both land-based and ocean nurseries. Its AquaTerra facilities at Soneva Fushi support coral propagation, research and the growth of fragments before they are moved to reef sites.

The organisation describes a range of methods selected for different coral species and conditions. Rope nurseries are used for branching corals, while microfragmentation supports the growth of slower-growing massive and encrusting species.

Its wider research also includes coral spawning and larval propagation, work on resilience to heat stress, and research partnerships. Those activities belong to Soneva’s broader programme; the Dharavandhoo initiative specifically centres on local participation, training and restoration work with Muraka Farm.

UNESCO’s profile of Baa Atoll identifies tourism and fisheries as its principal economic activities. The reserve includes coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and islands, with coral reefs accounting for its most extensive and biodiverse habitat.

The reserve was designated in 2011. UNESCO describes its reef systems as supporting significant marine biodiversity and forming part of the movement of reef-organism larvae across the Indian Ocean.

The Dhirun programme’s announced phases extend beyond the initial planting event to the upkeep of coral sites and the nursery by the participating community.