Fish Lab, Aquaria, and Marine Life in the Maldives
Plankton Production
Our plankton and algae cultures are used as the main food source for the residents of our Fish Lab.
– Microalgae (Nannochloropsis) – Overall, 400L of algae were produced throughout the month.
– Rotifers – Population density has been mostly stable throughout this month.
– Brine shrimp (Artemia) – Same protocol continues, with two separate batches daily: the first for feeding jellyfish, shrimps and fish (3.5g/day); the second for feeding our settlement coral polyps (3g/day).
Fish Lab Breeding Programmes
- Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) – populations remain healthy.
- Clark’s anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) – our breeding pairs remain healthy. [Lifecycle graphic]
- Groupers (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) – new this month, we have stats for our dedicated grouper seapen (as well as our land tanks).
– Seapen – containing a population of 203 individuals, with excellent vitality and steady growth. We are providing 1.5-2.0kg daily food, strategically distributed across two separate feeding sessions to ensure optimal nutrient uptake, encourage natural foraging behaviours, and minimise environmental waste. Due to several mortalities, we are cutting foods to a max size of 1cm cubes, and following several escapes, we are now performing routine inspections of the netting.
– Land Tanks – our tank-to-table initiative supplied a total of 30 fish to the kitchen team this month. This was mainly due to a specific 1-off request for 25 fish at a special culinary event hosted at Blu. To ensure long-term sustainability, we have established a consistent, sustainable supply of 15 fish per month to the kitchen. This baseline will allow us to maintain healthy stock density while providing a reliable supply of fresh, locally reared fish.
Aquaculture: elkhorn sea moss
Aquaculture: growing out groupers
Aquaculture – ‘seaweed’ as sustainable foods
- Elkhorn Sea Moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii) – The batch is still holding, despite accumulation of filamentous algae around each sea moss.
- Sea Grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) – Our current batch has flourished throughout February, and we successfully harvested and supplied a total of ~800g of sea grapes to the kitchen, aligning perfectly with the culinary team’s recipe development and menu trials. To improve daily operational efficiency, we have increased the number of cultivation trays within the seapond, with a pre-measured biomass of sea grapes in each crate. Our new crate-based system eases the harvesting process, improves water flow around the macroalgae, and allows for accurate monitoring of growth rates, colony health, and localised predation.
Guest Excursions
At Landaa Giraavaru, we conducted 5 guided tours of our Marine Discovery Centre for a total of 10 guests. Our guided snorkel excursions were enjoyed by 223 guests. Across 11 separate Dolphin Cruises for 121 guests, we recorded sightings of ~650 Spinners.
At Kuda Huraa this month, a total of 587 guests enjoyed 48 different excursions to 6 different sites in the area, where we recorded 9 different megafauna species. We also held 1 private trip and 2 Junior Marine Saver Activity.
Guided dolphin-spotting excursions
It’s always exciting to encounter spinner dolphins !
Junior Marine Savers
With enthusiastic young minds eager to learn more about our ocean ecosystems, our 2 Junior Marine Savers activity sessions were filled with talks of turtles, dolphins, corals and how they can act to help. The kids get to help feed our patients in the Rehabilitation Centre, learn about the Cetacean Identification Project, and help ID some dolphins. This all precedes the snorkel session, which was full of fish, coral, sharks and smiles!
It is always a pleasure teaching the next generation not only how impressive our natural world is, but how imperative it is that we protect it. Now they can go off and tell their peers to respect our planet, making this world a little bit of a better place each time.
Maldivian Clownfish with anemone
Junior Marine Savers – snorkel activities
Marble Whipray (Taeniurops meyeni)
This elasmobranch also goes by many different names: round ribbontail, blotched fantail, black-spotted ray. It is one of the largest ray species, reaching lengths of 1.8m-3.3m and weighing up to 150 kg. These nocturnal giants are opportunistic generalists, with a diet consisting of different small teleost fishes, crustaceans, and bivalves on the ocean floor.
Marble rays tend to lead a solitary life, but have been recorded in small to large groups. Aggregations most likely occur for mating purposes, which is important for this slow-reproducing species. They exhibit ovoviviparity, meaning the embryos are sustained via yolk sac until they receive histotrophic nourishment.
These rays are not a common sight on our snorkel excursions, so seeing them is always a treat for us and the guests. This month has been exceptionally good for seeing them, with sightings on FOUR different occasions. We hope to continue seeing these spectacular speckled species next month!
Beautiful seagrass meadows are important for marine biodiversity, and provide grazing for local Green Turtles
Maldives Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation
Lucy resting in her recovery pool with flipper injuries, before her VIP transfer from Kuda Huraa to our Landaa Giraavaru facility.
Athena shown receiving treatments. Sadly, she needed surgery to amputate one of her damaged flippers; she is slowly recovering, is very active, and has a healthy appetite.
REEFSCAPERS Coral Propagation & Reef Restoration in the Maldives
To see the progress of your own frame, please visit our dedicated Reefscapers Four Seasons monitoring page where we upload new photos every 6 months or so.
At Kuda Huraa during February, we transplanted 5 new frames, kindly sponsored by guests and the Resort, and monitored (cleaned, repaired, photographed) our existing coral frames at all sites around the island. With ocean temperatures expected to rise during the March-April period, and bleaching season approaching, we will be monitoring our shallow coral sites very closely for signs of paling.
At Landaa this month, we processed an impressive 64 new coral frame orders, kindly sponsored by guests, the Resort, and online, adding a total of ~1300 new propagated coral fragments to the reef. We also monitored 137 existing frames, and sent photo updates to our kind sponsors.
– 37 large frames were sponsored by Guests for Voavah’s Reef (to be built over the coming weeks).
– 27 frames were built for Landaa’s Reef. 5 of the frames were sponsored by guests (1 Medium, 2 Hearts, and 2 Smalls), and 3 large frames were sponsored online. Additionally, there were 3 Wedding Frames and 1 Trainee Biologist frame planted on the reef (4 small frames). Four Seasons added a further 15 small frames to the reef (12 Build-a-Reef, plus 3 Managers’ Cocktails).
Staff Reef
This month, we started the Staff Reef Garden located underneath the Wedding Pavilion on Staff Beach. This project was initiated to give staff members a beautiful reef to snorkel around and to get them involved in making the coral frames. Two team members conducted a Build-a-Reef session for staff on 2 February, populating the frame with Acropora aspera only. The fragments were collected from a patch of wild A. aspera colonies located near the water villas. We used this species because the environmental conditions are very harsh for coral growth in the outplanted area; therefore, using fragments of A. aspera from an area with similar environmental conditions will increase the survival rate.
We were joined by around 15 members of staff for the frame building, along with a Marine Talk where staff members were educated on the importance of coral reefs and reef restoration projects. Our team members then outplanted the frame, joined by the Manta Trust team and any staff members who fancied a swim (!) to the Wedding Pavilion. The event was a huge success, with the next frame already planned to be added to the reef garden in the next month. Once the coral fragments start growing successfully and start populating the area, we will add some giant clams and Clark’s Anemone fish from our seapond and Fish Lab to increase the biodiversity of the Staff Reef Garden.
Bissie’s Reef
This year, two more large frames were added to Bissie’s Reef, making a patch of 57 frames located at 8m in the Deep Blu Beach area dedicated to Bissie (2 photos, below). Together with our James Cook University Interns, we started a maintenance project on the existing frames. As the frames are on sand, they needed lifting and propping up on rubble to reduce the rate of sinking.
Most existing frames are growing well and add significant biodiversity to the area. Some maintenance was required as there was some empty space on the frames. The Coral Biologists initially joined the JCU Interns to show the process of recycling frames and how to locate Bissie’s Reef. Now they are able to go on their own several times a week, with Mumu occasionally joining them to check on their progress and provide mentoring when needed. Healthy coral colonies existing on frames are minimally fragmented, with those fragments added to the same frame so that the colonies will eventually join together as they grow around the frame.
Further News & Updates
You might also be interested in our specialised Sea Turtle Lagoon Enclosure, and our Dolphin Diaries & ID Project.
Looking for details of our Reefscapers coral propagation and reef restoration program ? Then head over to our Four Seasons Team Diaries at Reefscapers.
You can sponsor your own frame and see photographs (updated every 6 months) in our Coral Frame Collection at Reefscapers.
Junior Marine Savers activities: (1) Reefscapers corals, (2) turtle care.
