Press Kit

MISSION STATEMENT

The Maldives Coral Institute is a science-led body that aims to help coral reefs to survive and adapt to the changing climate. Our mission is to research, develop and implement the means to build coral resilience, mitigate adverse human impact and save our corals and reefs from irreversible loss and degradation.

HISTORY

It all started with an idea: we can't allow the world’s coral reefs to go extinct.

It was late 2018, at a Virgin Unite gathering hosted by Richard Branson on Necker Island. President Mohamed Nasheed had just finished an impassioned talk highlighting the devastation a recent El Niño had wrought on the coral reefs of the Maldives. Why, he asked, were so few resources going into protecting coral reefs? If the forests, or other land-based ecosystems were dying off in front of our eyes, surely mankind’s response would be stronger? 

And so it was decided to throw the kitchen sink at the problem, and fund an initiative that will use the latest scientific approaches to try and help coral reefs survive our changing world. The Maldives Coral Institute was born.

FACTS ABOUT MCI

The MCI was founded by President Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldives’ first democratically elected president. He remains a figurehead for the promotion of human rights and democracy, and an international icon for action against climate change. 

The MCI is run by a board of which 50% are Maldivian nationals. The work of the MCI is advised by a Science Advisory Group, consisting of three world-renowned scientists: Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Sydney, Dr. Yimnang Golbuu of the Palau International Coral Reef Centre, and Professor Callum Roberts of the University of York.

LOGO

SPONSORS

Since its founding in July 2019, in addition to individual local and foreign donors, the MCI has received funding from the Government of Canada, The Waitt Institute, Virgin Unite, Mars Inc. and Deutsche Bank.