Action
Soneva embarks on project to launch one of world’s largest coral nurseries
Partnership with Coralive and Ark2030 aims to propagate 50,000 coral fragments every year.
Soneva has launched an ambitious programme to restore coral reef systems and create a coral hub for the Maldives.
A partnership between the Soneva Foundation, the Swiss environmental organisation Coralive and the global ecosystem restoration organisation Ark2030, the project aims to protect and regenerate this vital marine habitat, which has been decimated by rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, El Niño events and ocean pollution.
The coral restoration programme, located onsite at Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll, is the largest conservation initiative to be supported by the Soneva Foundation.
Founded in 2010 by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, this UK-registered charity builds on their belief that a business must have a purpose beyond profit and invests in the development of global projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.
“With the global warming crisis, the Maldives has little influence over the actions of the big greenhouse gas emitting countries. We can’t bet our future on a wish and a prayer that the big countries decarbonise their economies in time to halt climate change before it wipes out our coral reefs. We need a back-up plan,” said Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and Co-Founder of Soneva.
“When finished, the coral farm at Soneva Fushi will be 1 hectare in size – one of the largest coral farms in the world – and in the ensuing years it is our goal to cultivate 1 hectare of coral each year at each of our resorts. This is the scale that is needed to have a meaningful impact and it also represents a huge opportunity for the Maldives to become a global leader in an activity that will likely have considerable future demand.”
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, providing habitat for a quarter of all marine life, as well as protecting coastal communities from storms and erosion, with an estimated half a billion people worldwide reliant on reef systems for their livelihoods.
Over the last three decades, more than half of the earth’s corals have died, with scientists predicting that up to 90 percent of all reefs will be lost over the next 20 years if decisive action is not taken.
The large-scale, in-situ restoration programme at Soneva Fushi aims to restore coral habitats and improve the resilience of the marine ecosystem around the Baa Atoll resort, with the long-term goal of becoming a coral restoration and knowledge hub for the Maldives and beyond.
Following a two-year study to define the most suitable restoration techniques for the Maldives’ unique marine environment, it will become the largest Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT) coral nursery in the world.
Once fully operational, the nursery will cover one hectare of ocean and propagate 50,000 coral fragments every year.
The ultimate aim of the programme is to regenerate the reef back to the state in which it existed 25 years ago, covering out-planted corals across 40 hectares over the next decade.
Channelling low voltage electricity through metal structures placed underwater, MAT creates the ideal environment for corals to grow – as the electrons flow, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposits begin to accumulate on the structures, the same mineral that forms the skeleton of most hard and some soft coral species. Corals that have been placed on MAT structures have been observed to grow up to four times faster than other propagation methods, as well as having significantly higher survival rates during bleaching events.
At Soneva Fushi, the nursery will be cultivated from ‘corals of opportunity’ – rather than being harvested, these are corals that have been broken or damaged due to storms, waves or human activity.
Located at the outer edge of the house reef, the coral nursery at Soneva Fushi will comprise 432 table structures, arranged in three circular clusters.
The project is divided into three distinct phases: the initial installation phase, where the tables and nursery infrastructure will be placed into the water, expected to take up to three months; a two- to three-month population phase, which will include scouting for donors and creating a detailed database to record taxonomy, growth and survival rates; and the third, ongoing maintenance and monitoring phase to ensure the health of the corals, monitor predation and verify that the MAT equipment is fully functional.
Each table structure will be given its own unique code, where coral growth rates and health are recorded twice a year.
The restoration site at Soneva Fushi will be constantly monitored via an Aqualink Smart Buoy, which records temperatures at both the surface and the ocean floor, with all data accessible through the cloud. In phases two and three of the project, guests at Soneva Fushi will be invited to join in the restoration efforts themselves – a unique opportunity to be part of this ground-breaking project.
Founded in 1995, Soneva is an award-winning sustainable luxury resorts operator. At Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand, true ‘luxury’ is defined by peace, time and space. Each day, guests are encouraged to discover the SLOW LIFE, reconnecting with themselves and the natural world through rare, unforgettable experiences that inspire and enthral.
Soneva is a pioneer for responsible tourism, combining a conscientious, proactive approach to sustainability with exquisite luxury and intuitive personalised service. Carbon neutral since 2012, Soneva launched its Total Impact Assessment in 2016, a first for the hospitality industry, measuring its social and environmental impacts.
A mandatory 2% environmental levy is added to every Soneva stay, with proceeds going towards the not-for-profit Soneva Foundation to offset both direct and indirect carbon emissions from resort activities and guest flights. The Foundation funds a range of global projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.
Soneva has unveiled the latest Soneva Stars calendar, seeing out the year with a line-up spanning space, sport, gastronomy, craftsmanship and wellbeing. Across Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva Secret, guests are invited to train, learn and interact with remarkable personalities who have spent their careers at the top of their fields.
Among the year’s headline residences is Tim Peake, the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station. Peake will host talks, interactive sessions and stargazing experiences at Soneva Fushi from 19 to 29 December, sharing insights from his extraordinary career in space exploration beneath some of the clearest night skies on Earth.
The sporting calendar will welcome a series of internationally recognised athletes. A Premier League record goalscorer and former Manchester United striker, Andy Cole will lead football sessions from 25 October to 1 November, while former world No. 8 Marcos Baghdatis (25 October to 5 November) and current ATP star Karen Khachanov (12 to 22 November) will host tennis clinics and coaching experiences, giving guests a rare chance to train with players who have competed at the sport’s highest level. In September, Olympic medallist and world champion decathlete Leo Neugebauer will lead a session at Soneva Fushi’s outdoor gym as part of his residency.
In the world of wellbeing, Sarah Chapman, the facialist whose client list reads like a who’s who of the beauty world, will bring her treatments to Soneva Secret from 27 October to 5 November, offering guests the kind of skin expertise usually reserved for a waiting list.
The culinary programme features acclaimed chefs including Chantelle Nicholson (22 October to 6 November), known for her ingredient-led cooking and commitment to sustainable gastronomy, and champions of elevated Scandinavian dining, Niclas Jönsson (22 October to 6 November) and Fiskebar’s Jamie Lee (14 to 26 December), who will present special experiences throughout the season.
The Soneva Stars calendar runs even deeper. Astronomers Dr James Gilbert and Dr Lars Lindberg Christensen amplify the resorts’ celestial programme, while glass artists Adam Holtzinger and Susan Špiranović lead a residency at Soneva Fushi’s glass studio. Enhancing the wellbeing offering, guests can work with osteopath Hortensia Corredoira, East Asian healing specialist Alexander Scrimgeour, performance coach JP Liendi, Bodyism’s Nathalie Schyllert and wellbeing expert Richie Norton, alongside football freestyler Marcel Gurk, across residencies running through to the end of the year.
“The most memorable moments unfold through the power of human connection,” said Neil Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer of Soneva. “With Soneva Stars, our guests train with Andy Cole, sit with Tim Peake to find out what it’s truly like up there and get a fresh taste of the ocean’s bounty with Jamie Lee. These experiences spark conversations and memories that stay with them long after they leave.”
No two Soneva Stars seasons are ever the same. Each residency is an expression of Just What Matters: meaningful connections, new perspectives and moments of genuine wonder and discovery.
Guests can explore the full Soneva Stars calendar to book remarkable experiences.
Ocean Group Maldives has launched a week of ocean-focused diving activities across nine leading resorts in the Maldives in support of PADI AWARE Week 2026, taking place from 12–20 September.
The initiative brings together Ocean Group’s dive teams, resort partners and guests in a collective effort to celebrate the ocean while encouraging meaningful action to protect the Maldives’ extraordinary marine environment.
PADI AWARE Week is a global initiative that mobilises the diving community to take action for ocean conservation. Throughout the week, Ocean Group Maldives will invite divers to combine their passion for exploring the underwater world with hands-on conservation activities.
The campaign will take place across Ocean Group dive centres at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Dusit Thani Maldives, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, Veligandu Maldives Resort Island, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, SAii Lagoon Maldives, SO/ Maldives, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and Radisson Blu Resort Maldives.
Dive for Fun. Dive for a Purpose.
As part of the campaign, guests who purchase two fun dives will receive a complimentary third dive dedicated to an ocean clean-up, giving divers an opportunity to enjoy the Maldives’ spectacular underwater environment while contributing directly to its protection.
Under the message “3 Dives. 1 Ocean. A Real Difference.”, the initiative encourages guests to see conservation not as something separate from the diving experience, but as part of being a responsible member of the global dive community.
“The ocean is at the heart of everything we do at Ocean Group Maldives, so PADI AWARE Week is an important opportunity for us to turn awareness into action,” said Yasmin Zahid, Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships at Ocean Group Maldives. “By activating the campaign simultaneously across nine resorts, we hope to demonstrate how individual actions, when multiplied across our dive community, can create a much greater collective impact.”
Dive teams at participating resorts will also use the week to engage guests in conversations around responsible diving, marine debris and the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystems that make the Maldives one of the world’s most celebrated diving destinations.
Local Action. Global Impact.
The nine-resort activation reflects Ocean Group Maldives’ broader commitment to making marine conservation an integral part of the guest experience across its diving and marine operations.
By connecting international visitors with practical conservation activities during their stay, Ocean Group aims to inspire guests to become more conscious ocean advocates—not only while diving in the Maldives, but wherever their future travels take them.
PADI AWARE Week runs from 12–20 September 2026 at participating Ocean Group Maldives dive centres.
Global destinations developer Assets Group and world-leading nautical brand Azimut Yachts bring together their expertise to integrate bespoke resort stays with the freedom of cruising at sea. Starting in 2026, a dedicated fleet of 18 Azimut yachts and a specialised Azimut Service Centre in Malé will bring this vision to life.
The agreement was formally sealed on Sunday, September 13, aboard Azimut’s new flagship, the Grande 44M, against the stunning backdrop of the Cannes Yachting Festival.
The partnership is rooted in a strong alignment of ethos and ambition: Assets Group, a subsidiary of Power International Holding and a global developer creating destinations defined by experiential depth and environmental harmony, finds a natural counterpart in Azimut Yachts, a brand that has defined the contemporary yachting lifestyle by combining Italian design, innovation and a deep connection with the sea.
Their shared commitment to experience-led design, personalised service and responsible stewardship creates a natural platform for collaboration. Its first landmark expression will take shape in the Maldives beginning in 2026, with a dedicated fleet of 18 Azimut yachts designed to serve Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and Rosewood Ranfaru Maldives, extending the guest experience beyond the shore and making the journey itself part of the destination.
To support the fleet and ensure a consistently high standard of service, a new Azimut Service Centre in Malé will complement the partnership. Supported by the brand’s Italian team and Azimut Yachts Maldives powered by Elite Yachts—Azimut’s longstanding partner in the Middle East and now the Maldives—the Centre will provide dedicated local support and help ensure seamless operations across the islands.
“This partnership represents a major strategic milestone for Azimut across two key dimensions. First, regarding our business model, which expands into new distribution channels. Second, with respect to our brand positioning: by partnering with leaders in ultra-luxury hospitality, we elevate the ecosystem of yacht-related experiences for a discerning audience, in a highly compelling hub,” states Marco Valle, CEO of Azimut|Benetti Group.
“At Assets Group, we are shaping destinations around the full guest journey, creating experiences that extend far beyond the stay itself. Our investment in 18 Azimut yachts brings that vision onto the water, combining world-class craftsmanship, personalised service and seamless mobility. In doing so, Assets Group will become the operator of the largest private luxury yacht fleet in the Indian Ocean—setting a new benchmark for integrated luxury hospitality and reflecting the ambition with which we are building the future of destination experiences in the Maldives,” states Khaled Zi Alnon, Group Chief Executive Officer of Assets Group.
“The Maldives represent a high-potential market where we already enjoy a solid footprint. Here, we are set to further consolidate our leadership position, also thanks to the opening of a local service centre. It is precisely Azimut’s ability to combine market expansion with an uncompromised standard of service excellence that enables us to scale with long-term stability, while ensuring partner satisfaction at the highest level,” emphasises Enrico Chiaussa, Chief Commercial Officer EMEA APAC of Azimut Yachts.
The fleet and the exceptional natural settings at the heart of this collaboration embody a philosophy in which the luxury of the stay and the freedom of the voyage become one. Azimut’s Magellano Series—with 15 yachts set to join the fleet in the Maldives—pioneered the nautical crossover, capturing the spirit of exploration and the freedom to journey beyond the expected.
This nautical spirit is anchored in Assets Group’s approach to purposeful hospitality. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi—a private sanctuary spanning three islands—and Rosewood Ranfaru Maldives—stretched across a striking chain of private islands around a pristine lagoon—reflect a strategy in which exceptional destinations, highly personalised hospitality and respect for the natural environment come together to create enduring experiences.
The collaboration reflects a broader evolution in contemporary luxury—toward a form of exclusivity defined not simply by place, but by access, freedom, personalisation and a deeper connection with nature. Together, Azimut Yachts and Assets Group are bringing this vision to life for a new generation of global travellers seeking meaningful experiences that extend far beyond the stay.
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