Trip to the Maldives for Biology
The biology and ESS class had the privilege to travel to Maldives from the 5th to the 9th of May. This was a trip that would further expand my knowledge of the Maldives, the aquatic ecosystem, corals, and more.
We arrived at Fuladhoo island after a long 2-hour boat ride to the island from the airport. We check into the resort and ate a feastful lunch which had a mix of Italian and Thai food. After lunch, we had the opportunity to stroll the island so Antoine, Akash, Ethan, Isa and I decided to explore it for a while. We saw how the community was interconnected, the architecture of the houses, and also the garbage which was hosted along the beach sand.
The expert, Mr. Sendi was our guide for most of our trip. He possesses great information on all the islands and the coral reefs that inhabits the surrounding area. He informed us about the history of the island and why he moved from the capital of Male to Fuladhoo. He told us that the island was organic and had 27 seasons. The number of seasons relates to how the sand formations of the beach shift all year around.
We got to travel to other nearby islands such as Guraidhoo where we learned about the importance of seaweed. The abundance of seaweed along the island coast helps the island trap CO2 and acts as a carbon sink. Seaweed has the ability to store large amounts of carbon within its biomass. When seaweed dies or is harvested, the carbon it contains can be transferred and stored in various forms. Some of the carbon can be trapped in the sediments, while other parts of the seaweed can be used in various applications, such as food, feed, biofuels, or even as a carbon-rich soil amendment.
About to explore the island of Guraidhoo
I also gained a lot of information on Coral ecosystems and how they are under threat by rising sea temperatures. We saw the gradual effects of coral bleaching by carrying out an experiment using snorkels. We helped Mr. Sendi clean the growing coral from the invasive algae which can impact the growth of the coral. Many islands introduced projects that will carry out the plantation of different coral species in given areas to help the ecosystem. Coral reefs are often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea” due to their remarkable biodiversity. They support a vast array of marine species, including fish, invertebrates, plants, and microorganisms. Coral reefs provide critical habitat, breeding grounds, and food sources for a diverse range of marine life, making them some of the most biologically productive and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Mr. Sendi also mentioned that if it was not for the corals Maldives would be underwater. Coral reefs serve as natural barriers that protect coastlines from erosion, storms, and wave action. The complex structure of coral reefs absorbs wave energy, reducing the impact on shorelines and helping to prevent coastal erosion. In this way, coral reefs play a crucial role in protecting vulnerable coastal communities and infrastructure from the damaging effects of storms and sea-level rise.
Coral in Fuladhoo Island
Snorkeling