Coral Custodians is an ongoing programme by MCI that teaches school children how to care for their own coral aquarium, and transplant corals grown in the aquarium to a restoration site on their home reef.
The first coral aquarium was set up at Nooraanee school, in Hithadhoo, Addu atoll, in October 2022. MCI staff held the first of a series of workshops to show the schoolchildren and teachers how to set up the tank and look after corals growing inside it.
The children are tasked with maintaining the tank and the health of the corals, as well as using scientific methods to collect and record monitoring data, which can be used in research assignments.
Once the corals outgrow the tank, MCI will work with the schoolchildren to outplant the corals on a nearby reef flat or lagoon, using reef-stars identical to those used in the MARS Fulhadhoo reef restoration project in Baa atoll.
MCI hopes that by participating in the project, the students will learn how to design and carry out simple scientific research projects which will prepare them for further study and employment in the sciences.
Monitoring and regularly looking after a coral nursery and learning more about corals, will also foster a sense of connection and responsibility amongst students towards their coral reefs.
