Van Oord has reached a major achievement in environmentally responsible maritime infrastructure development with the formal delivery and handover of the first coral…
Coral Relocation Maldives
To reduce the impact of dredging, land reclamation, and coastal protection works on Maldives’ coral reef habitats, we carried out one of the region’s largest coral relocation projects. More than 70,000 coral colonies were carefully moved from areas scheduled for reclamation to nearby healthy reef sites. The work was conducted together with three local dive groups.
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Partners:
Save the Beach, Reefscapers, Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
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Location:
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Execution:
February 2023
Prior to the relocation works, all corals within the construction footprint were mapped, and potential recipient areas were surveyed to assess habitat suitability. This allowed us to design a relocation strategy that preserved a broad diversity of species and growth forms. Large massive and submassive colonies—some up to one meter across—were relocated directly to the seabed. Smaller branching species were transplanted onto specially designed coral frames to support their recovery and growth.
To understand how different species and techniques perform over time, a selection of representative coral species has been monitored through underwater photography for two years following relocation. These insights are shaping the next generation of coral conservation practices, helping us refine:
which species and colony sizes are most suitable for relocation,
the most effective methods for placing transplanted corals, and
how to identify resilient and suitable recipient sites.
Questions about this project? Contact Maurice!
