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         Coral propagation has become a valuable tool for restoring coral reefs and nurturing them back to health. In the Maldives, Reefscapers developed a new versatile artificial reef system, the “Coral Trays”. Broken or threatened corals are harvested from the donor areas, usually threatened by coastal developments and fragments prepared before being attached on the Coral Trays.  These new structures prevent predation and sedimentation, and promote survival and growth. Their light weight enables an easy deployment using a simple whaler as well as to change their location at will. This could be useful in case of prolonged high sea surface temperatures events.
 
The shapes and sizes of the structures mostly depends on the objectives and different designs and transplantation processes have been adapted to the species present in the Maldives. Transplantation is done by snorkelling or diving depending on the depth. After 6 to 12 months, the newly established reef is able to produce the fragments for further generations of transplants. After about a year, the growth enables the pruning of 3 to 10 times the initial stock. The reef created is thereafter self sustainable. In most environments, the Coral trays substratum efficiency insures an essential survival enabling significant coral propagation as well as small and large scale research.
 
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