• Introduction to coral reefs: where they are found, different types of reefs, why they are important, how they are constructed
  
• Coral reefs of the Maldives: geologic history of the Maldives, types of reefs, placing them in context to the rest of the Indian and Pacific Ocean
  
• How coral reefs in the Maldives have changed over the last two decades
  
• Relationship with Indian Ocean weather patterns and climate change, monsoons, upwelling, temperature shifts
  
• The importance of reefs in the Maldives and human threats affecting these reefs: construction/development, coral mining, fishing
  
• Natural/climate induced threats: coral diseases, ocean acidification, coral bleaching and COTS predation
  
• Reef fish - more than food: roles of different functional groups in maintaining healthy reef systems and what happens when there are shifts in species composition
  
• Existing measures to protect species and habitats, current regulations, and future considerations
  
• The value of reef resources as a tourist attraction and not an export fishery:  sea cucumbers, whales, mantas, sharks, grouper and the live reef food fish trade, curios and aquarium organisms
  
• Ecological restoration and rehabilitation: protecting coastlines (mangroves and seagrasses), reducing coral mining, eliminating pest species such as COTS, culturing of corals to rehabilitate reefs and as an alternative livelihood
  
• Best practices: common everyday activities to reduce stress on environment: plastics, light bulbs, disposal of toxic compounds like oil; reduce, reuse, recycle; alternative livelihoods
  

Education Modules

Maldives pilot program