Anantara Guest Divers in Maldives to Help Remove Crown of Thorns Starfish

Anantara Dhigu and Anantara Veli Resorts in South Male Atoll, Maldives, are to host a team of marine biologists from The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) between 26 October and 1 November 2015.

Led by Chief Scientist Dr Andrew Bruckner, the team of four researchers will be conducting a Starfish Control and Removal program, known as SCAR.

The program consists of three main components, the removal of coral reef predator Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS), quantitative reef surveys, and data analysis.

In a rare opportunity to join a professional marine research team, guests with Advanced PADI qualification and excellent buoyancy control are invited to assist with COTS removal while staying at Anantara Dhigu and Veli resorts.

Offering a chance for a diving holiday with a difference, guest divers will gain an understanding of some of the different species on the reef, the relationships between corals, fish and other organisms, how these maintain healthy reef systems and what happens when something goes out of balance.

Removal of COTS directly saves and protects the reefs and with each dive, guests can learn about one of the very few predators of coral, and one of the most interesting reef inhabitants.

Through engagement with the researchers, divers will witness firsthand one of the most severe threats affecting our reefs today, including their biology and life history, what they do to the reef, what normally controls them, why outbreaks occur, and how to actively safeguard their impact.

Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) is a non-profit, private operating foundation established to help preserve, protect and restore the world’s oceans and marine resources through research, education and outreach.

The foundation conducts applied coral reef research, working to provide science-based solutions to ocean conservation and management through on-the-ground programs involving ecological restoration, education and training, outreach, and development of sustainable approaches to manage coral reef resources.