Picture this; you are at a restaurant, the waiter brings your food over to the table just as an array of beautiful fish swim right over your head! While this is not the reality for everyone, our Aquarium Biologist was lucky enough to be invited to visit 5.8 Undersea Restaurant at Hurawalhi Maldives! Not only is this restaurant the largest of its kind in the world, it is home to an adorable bunch of clownfish. An essential aspect of the restaurant they were building was creating an artificial reef to attract wildlife to the area that was previously a barren sand mass on one side of the island. This promotes biodiversity in the area and helps coral reef ecosystems at a time when they are under constant threat. This restaurant acts as an underwater experience for those not comfortable in the water, allowing them to experience the wonder of the underwater world and to experience Nemo in the wild, without having to get wet!
During the 2016 El Nino, many anemones throughout the Maldives began to bleach due to the rising sea surface temperatures experienced during this period globally. This also affects the health of the clownfish who call them home, influencing their breeding rates and survival. Thankfully, Prodivers Hurawalhi recognized this and translocated some of the bleached anemones to the reef surrounding their underwater restaurant. These anemones have thrived in the strong currents surrounding Hurawalhi and have since recovered, regaining size and attracting their symbiotic friends the clownfish to entertain dinners of this unique restaurant! Translocation as a recovery method for anemones post-bleaching is a relatively new development in coral reef research, but the success that has occurred here gives amazing insight into the recovery potential of anemones and opens up doors for potential research projects going forward.
Cassie, who has now left us to do her Ph.D. research on anemones; was very excited to have the opportunity to dive around the restaurant and see just how well all the anemones have recovered from this bleaching event. She met one particularly inquisitive Clakii's Clownfish who has decided to call the restaurant home and even saw a few babies! We look forward to collaborating with Prodivers, 5.8 Undersea Restaurant and Hurawalhi Maldives in the future to protect more clownfish and anemones from the impacts of climate change and further document the wonderful recovery process that has occurred here.
Original Post:http://www.atollvolunteers.com/dine-nemo-dory-meal-remember/
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