It is no wonder there has been such a rapid rise in tourism since the 1990s, given the long stretches of beautiful white sand beaches, stunning aquamarine-colored lagoons, hundreds of uninhabited and isolated islands, vibrant marine life and rich marine resources. Containing more coral reefs than anywhere else in the Indian Ocean, and their geographic position in the central Indian Ocean makes Maldivian reefs highly important from a conservation standpoint. These reefs are perhaps the most complex reef systems in the world, and the word ‘atoll’ is derived from the local language, Dhivehi: in addition to typical fringing reefs surrounding many of the islands, spur and groove reef systems on the outside of each atoll, elongate barrier reefs, and thousands of lagoonal patch reefs, many of the atolls have unusual ring-shaped reefs within the lagoon. Locally referred to as a “faru”, each has its own outer and inner reef community and a sandy lagoon. The largest fish communities and the healthiest corals are often found on the channel reefs; one type is known locally as a “thila”, an elongate submerged pinnacle reef where there are often strong currents that reverse direction with the tides. Supporting over 250 species of corals, more than 1200 fish species, and countless other invertebrates, Maldivian reefs serve as a stepping stone between African reefs and reef systems surrounding Indonesia.
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