Presentation of the Novel Clay Reef Project Initiated by Anantara Dhigu for the Regeneration of Corals in Maldives. The resort of Anantara Dhigu maldives has partnered with rrreefs in an innovative venture to create a 3D printed clay reef formation in its lagoon. This project is aimed at contributing towards marine conservation and sustainable tourism.
Funding assistance in this regard has been provided by Edelweiss and help alliance who are partners with Lufthansa Group. This includes both technological advancement in terms of coral reefs as well as sustainable design concepts. The name of the project is Theyra Maa, meaning “13 Flowers” in Dhivehi language. This entails the creation of 13 flower-shaped reef structures to foster the growth of marine life in the lagoon view maldives. This project came about as a result of expertise provided by the rrreefs team, whose members include the co-founder, Josephine Graf, head of production, Mauro Bischoff, marine ecologist, Dr. Julia Spaet, and Dr. Gerrit Nanninga of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Their expertise combines science, engineering, and dedication in bringing coral reef habitats back to their natural state.
Mauro Bischoff states that the reef habitats are built using sustainable and strong materials, such as terracotta-clay fired bricks and steel and minimum amounts of concrete to make sure that the structure is sturdy. Moreover, the flower-shaped design is designed in a manner to create gentle water flow around these structures to facilitate coral colonization. The 3D-printed terracotta clay has an unusual microstructure that contains many small cavities that serve as protection sites for the baby corals. These structures not only protect the young corals from being attacked by predators but help create biofilm communities, which in turn contribute to the recruitment process.
Manufactured through state-of-the-art 3D printing technology and the use of natural clay material, the reef structures have been designed in line with the complexity of natural coral environments. As time progresses, the structures will be expected to offer the marine life forms, including coral fragments and reef fish, with a vibrant living space. According to Oriana Migliaccio, who is the resident marine biologist at Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, this cooperation means a great deal as it is rrreefs’ first direct collaboration with a resort. As per her comments, this particular project provides a rare chance for innovative technology and environmental actions to come together with an aim to restore and conserve coral and coastal environments.
Situated in the crystal clear waters of South Male Atoll, Anantara Dhigu is well known for its sustainable hospitality approach, providing visitors with a unique experience that allows one to interact with the Maldivian nature. According to Jason Kruse, who is a Complex General Manager at Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, their resort believes that sustainable practices and luxury amenities can co-exist.
It goes without saying that the goal pursued by reefs lies in the fusion of the know-how and technologies from the realms of engineering, marine science, and regenerative design, which allows scaling up of practical and feasible solutions to the problem of coral reef restoration worldwide. As explained by Josephine Graf, one of the co-founders of rrreefs, she had decided to work on the project under the pressure of her unconditional love towards the ocean and the necessity to reverse the trend of coral reefs' destruction. One needs to say that reefs represent very sensitive ecosystems which suffer from climate change the most. In addition, it is worth noting that the mission of Theira Maa is aimed at increasing people's consciousness concerning the issue of marine ecosystem conservation.
So far, as the organizer of this program, Edelweiss keeps promoting sustainable programs in its global network of destination sites in cooperation with Help Alliance. In an interview, Anja Trestl, Corporate Development Manager of Edelweiss, mentioned the link between the conservation of ecosystems and education. In particular, she said that the program not only promotes coral reef restoration but also provides people with educational opportunities for the creation of a sustainable future for locals as well as their descendants. The Theyra Maa reef art installation is one component of the larger sustainability program adopted by Anantara Dhigu. As a guest of Anantara Dhigu as well as other sister destinations such as Anantara Veli Maldives Resort and Naladhu Private Island Maldives, one will be able to participate in this sustainable effort.
