Marine conservation efforts are a priority at this island resort.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, April 30, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives was Green Globe Certified for the first time in 2020.

Marine conservation efforts are a priority at this island resort. Peter Pringle, Resident Marine Biologist at Grand Park Kodhippar details some of the key environmental initiatives at the property.

Since opening in 2017, Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives has established several coral gardening projects, where coral pieces from the House Reef are attached to purposely built underwater structures.

Upon arrival at the marina area, guests are welcomed by an artificial reef installed below the reception deck. This tunnel-shaped metal frame had several small pieces of coral attached to it during the first year of hotel operations and is now attracting additional marine life such as juvenile fishes, some already around twenty centimetres in diameter, that have developed into large colonies.

Coral nurseries have also been installed in areas of the natural House Reef. The largest of these is a mid-water rope nursery, containing 100 pieces of attached coral, that was built up over 2019 and is set in deep water near the overwater villas. Rope nurseries effectively lift attached coral pieces to grow several feet off the sea bottom, away from fine sand and competitor organisms that might normally prevent their optimal growth and survival.

Many coral nurseries use fragments taken from colonies living on the reef, removed from the ‘donor’ colony and attached in a different area to grow into a new colony (similar to how cuttings are used to propagate plants). However, as Maldivian reefs are still recovering from mass coral die-offs experienced in recent marine heat waves, we prefer to leave the surviving colonies on the reef completely intact. Instead, fragments broken off by strong waves are used for the feeding activities of marine animals or other actions. Collecting these “corals of opportunity” enhances the long-term survival prospects of each coral. We remove corals that are covered by sand and likely to die and transfer them to the mid-water rope nursery.

The resort has also devised a new interactive educational reef activity. A different style of nursery, consisting of frames holding coral fragments attached to cement pieces, was recently established and allows guests to actively participate in coral gardening. Coral fragments are attached to cone-shaped cement pieces above water using a special waterproof glue. Participants are able to swim their ‘baby coral’ out from shore to place it in the nursery. According to Peter, participants can better understand how coral colonies live and grow from the physical action of planting a coral, something not always easy to explain by simply using diagrams and pictures.

Ultimately, after several years growth in the nursery environment the corals are ready for transplanting. While coral gardening is certainly not a replacement for conservation actions needed for the continued survival of coral reefs, such as reducing carbon emissions to lessen climate change effects and improving water quality, it is constructive in increasing awareness of reef conservation and coral biology.

About Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives
Located on North Malé Atoll and a mere 20 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives is a luxurious one-island-one resort destination in the Maldives featuring a collection of 120 idyllic beach-front pool villas, breathtaking overwater villas and spacious two-bedroom villas. Designed by world-renowned hospitality firm, Hirsch Bedner Associates, the resort is an oasis of luxury and tranquillity featuring open and breezy public spaces alongside modern interiors inspired by the Maldivian the island, local traditions and crafts. An unrivalled range of leisure facilities includes an overwater spa with seven treatment rooms, a fully-equipped PADI dive facility, a recreation beach club, Little Explorers kids' club, three outstanding destination-dining offerings and an infinity pool. Connect with Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives on social media - Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Park Hotel Group
Headquartered in Singapore, Park Hotel Group is one of Asia Pacific's leading hospitality companies. Established in 1961, Park Hotel Group's growing presence in the region today comprises of nearly 20 hotels and resorts operating or under development across 12 key destinations. With a focus on expanding across the Asia Pacific and meeting the changing needs of travellers today, Park Hotel Group has a brand portfolio featuring its luxury Grand Park, its upscale Park Hotel and its midscale Destination, as well as Park Rewards; it's dedicated loyalty programme that rewards guests, diners and corporate bookers. Connect with Park Hotel Group on social - Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Grand Park
Grand Park is the luxury brand of Park Hotel Group that is synonymous with premium accommodation, experiences and comfort that are designed for savvy and well-heeled travellers. Today, Grand Park has seven properties in city and resort destinations of Singapore, Maldives, Hokkaido (Otaru), Wuxi, Xi An and Kunming.

About Green Globe Certification
Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please visit www.greenglobe.com


Contact

Raffaele Solferino
General Manager
Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives
P.O. Box 2168
North Male Atoll
REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES
P: +960 665 1111
E: Raffaele.Solferino@parkhotelgroup.com
W:www.parkhotelgroup.com/maldives

Bradley Cox
Green Globe
+ +1 3103373000
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