Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab, Vabbinfaru

Taking up the entire 150m circumference of Vabbinfaru island, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru hosts the Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab. The hub of an innovative conservation and research effort, the Marine Lab provides a strong link between the private sector tourism industry and the social sector and environmental conservation community.

Launched in December 2003, the Lab represents years of hard work and dedication to local environmental conservation and community issues. It provides the umbrella for coordinating complimentary marine biology classes are conducted twice a week by the resort's resident Marine Biologist while also providing a centre for raising environmental awareness within the communities in the Maldives.

The aims of the Maldives Marine Lab are simple:

• To preserve local flora and fauna and where possible to enhance its vitality by further understand the local ecology and facilitating conservation requirements
• To contribute to the scientific body of knowledge by providing research facilities in the Maldives for international researchers and conservation experts
• To raise awareness of Maldivian issues by providing environmental education to Maldivian communities and International guests
• To drive communal prosperity by promoting Marine Conservation and sustainable livelihoods for local communities by establishing multi-stakeholder conservation projects
  

The Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab’s mission thus set the tone for a new ethos within the tourist industry; whereby resorts provide additional opportunities for community involvement while also preserving local ecologies.

Conservation and Protection
The environmental aims of the Banyan Tree Marine Lab are achieved through projects designed to conserve and protect the natural ecology. Projects are initiated in partnership with and under the guidance of leading scientific figures and international institutions to ensure their success and compatibility with current scientific conventions. The work conducted by the Lab helps to formulate future environmental management strategies intended to benefit an area far greater than the actual research parameters.

Holistic Conservation.
Coral reefs are a primary focus due to the vital role reefs play in supporting the Maldivian Islands and communities. To strengthen and enhance the delicate ecosystem, the Lab team researches the ways the reefs evolve.  BioRock™ technology is used to increase the growth rate and strength of corals, which has been observed to speed up the natural recovery rates of corals on the house reef following the 1998 coral bleaching. The Marine Lab associates also plant corals along bare patches of reef crest, thus enhancing the island’s natural coastal defense system and providing shelter and habitat for fish and invertebrates. Guests are invited to take part in the remediation of small natural reefs in the lagoon, with the intention to relocate corals from areas where it is at risk of damage or where coral colonies are already broken.

The Lab also is investigating natural reef recovery via coral spawning settlement studies. Data collected directs the Lab’s efforts and is also distributed to affiliated scientific partners in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) of Singapore for dissemination to and for use within the greater scientific community.

Conservation of Specific Species.
Established under the guidance of Dr Nicholas Pilcher from the IUCN Sea Turtle Specialist Group, the Lab’s Turtle Head-Start project establishes a framework for promoting the recovery of the endangered Green Sea Turtle populations including measures using satellite tracking of juvenile turtles.

The Lab performed research on the growth and social interactions of juvenile black tip reef sharks in order to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts to counter the rapidly decreasing global shark population. Results of this study were shared with national ministries in the Maldives to aid in the implementation of national shark conservation measures, as well as the scientific community via the ReefQuest Centre for Sharks. Established under the guidance of the late Professor Aidan Martin of the ReefQuest Centre for Sharks Research, this innovative work serves as an educational tool and helps to raise awareness within the Maldivian communities and government ministries.

Dolphin monitoring and research was initiated under the guidance of Dr Lindsey Porter of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). This study examines dolphin pod movements and habits and the ecological requirements to support such dolphin populations.

Aiding Local Communities
With the support of a team from Nanyang Technologiy University (NTU) in Singapore the Lab also monitors and investigates the effect of currents and sedimentation on the island’s shape and stability. By forming an understanding of an island’s natural responses to seasonal change, the Lab team can better develop protective measures against different situations which may result from changes in climate patterns. Lab associates also develop practices for sustainable management of ocean resources in order to facilitate the survival of fisheries while also promoting and protecting livelihoods in local communities..

Education
Educational programmes adopt a three-prong approach catering to school children, associates and guests. Internship programmes and full day field trips are organised for schools; associates are involved in ongoing projects and environmental awareness sessions; and guests are invited to attend free marine biology courses conducted by the Lab every other day as well as participate in various environmental efforts around the resort.