In recent years the region has been suffering from coral bleaching events that not only have devastating environmental impacts but also economic on a local level. Reefscapers have developed a revolutionary coral frame technique for planting coral fragments, which has proven to provide a long term monitoring solution for maintaining the health of coral reefs worldwide.

Coral can be found in every ocean across the world and at every depth

These are diverse organisms that can consist of a single polyp to thousands in large colonies. Polyps are soft bodied and translucent organisms that are in the same family as sea anemones and jelly fish. Their bases are made out of a hard skeleton which serves as the coral structure. For a reef to start a polyp needs to clasp onto something stable like a rock, once settled it will divide into thousands of clones creating a coral reef.

The brilliant colours we associate with coral are the result of a symbiotic relationship between polyps and a special type of algae called zooxanthellae. The coral provides the algae with a protective environment as well as the compounds needed for it to convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. The algae in return produces oxygen, glucose, glycerol, and amino acids which are needed for the coral to create its skeleton. Waste is also filtered out of the environment by the algae and it is 90% of the coral’s food source, making it an essential part of a reef ecosystem.

Climate change along with environmental pollution have had devastating effects on coral reefs across the world

Rising ocean temperatures have changed the relationship between the coral and algae. New environmental changes are putting increased stress on reefs resulting in the algae being expelled by the coral, in turn causing the coral to lose its colors and being “bleached”. In these bleaching events unless the stress point is quickly removed the entire coral colony will die.

Reefscapers have undertaken a number of research projects to better understand the bleaching process and how to develop better mitigation and management strategies to protect the health of coral reefs not only in the Maldives but in other regions as well. Without immediate action, coral bleaching will have devastating environmental and humanitarian impacts.

Though coral reefs only cover 1% of the world’s surface they contribute $375 billion USD annually to local economies

A quarter of fish caught in developing countries is from coral reefs ecosystems and they also mitigate coastline erosion by creating a natural sea wall.

Recently Reefscapers started using Brinno TLC200 Pro time lapse cameras and the BCS 24-70 zoom lens to conduct research on the coral bleaching process. These tests take place in a controlled lab setting and involve rising the water temperature in an aquarium that is housing healthy coral and documenting the effects.

By using time lapse they have discovered that an unidentified gas is released by the coral during the bleaching process, which they have hypothesised is connected to the algae being expelled. Further research is needed to identify the type of gas that is being released however Reefscapers have a few theories.

While the type of gas and its release process remains unknown, further research with the help of Brinno time lapse technology will provide more insight into the coral bleaching process. Through this knowledge Reefscapers will be able to develop localised management and mitigation strategies that can be used to protect coral reefs from further damage.