ANNUAL REPORT 2020 OUR MISSION To lead the tourism industry in the Maldives through meaningful marine conservation efforts based on research, education and community outreach. OUR TABLE OF CONTENTS VISION A local and global community of marine stewards that will create a culture of 04 OUR STORY positive action for our oceans in Laamu and beyond. 12 OUR RESEARCH 28 OUR EDUCATION 38 OUR COMMUNITY 50 OUR VOICE 60 OUR HOME Photo credit © Matt Porteous 2 MALDIVES UNDERWATER INITIATIVE ANNUAL REPORT | 2020 3 Where most people saw only closed doors, the Even with the resort reopening, for the safety of better than how we found it. If there is anything MUI team saw opportunity. Just days after the resort Laamu’s population, MUI’s community outreach that this year has shown me, it is that MUI’s entered its temporary closure, the team announced events could not occur. When the decision was determination to make this vision a reality cannot they would like to develop a free online education announced to postpone the annual Laamafaru Festival be halted, even in the face of hardship, and with OUR program for children around the world battling physical event, the MUI team came together again that I know they will continue to achieve incredible lockdowns. The ten-week Junior Marine Biology to find alternatives. The #LaamafaruFestival2020 things in the years to come. online course was done to an incredibly high campaign highlighted Laamu’s incredible natural standard consisting of 99 beautifully developed, resources and provided a voice for school children, On behalf of the entire MUI team, thank you for entertaining and insightful videos which brought joy community members and local content creators to your support on our journey thus far and we look to families all around the world. share their passion for their atoll on a national level. forward to reconnecting with you soon. STORY Whilst other hosts headed home, many members of For me, MUI’s greatest achievement in 2020 was the MUI team opted to stay on island to pursue their these acts of passion, resilience and collaboration #WithLoveFromLaamu 2020; what a year. It was an incredibly hard time for so goals in the realms of marine research. This included in the face of the pandemic. As you read this report, many around the world, and the tourism industry was, and the most in-depth study ever of Six Senses Laamu’s I hope you too are inspired by the steps that were continues to be, especially affected. For us, the pandemic, protected seagrass meadows, reef recovery surveys taken and the motivation that was found. Marteyne van Well and temporary closure of the resort due to the Maldivian on the resort’s house reef and thorough analyses General Manager, Six Senses Laamu border closure, brought hardship to our hosts, our local of datasets from the past three years. The results of As we look towards 2021 and onwards, I am community, Six Senses as a management company and these were presented in seven presentations at the incredibly excited support the team in doing more, our owners, the HPL Group, who have all been incredibly 2020 Maldives Marine Science Symposium, the giving back and making certain that the impact we supportive. Saying that, with all the difficulties 2020 most of any resort-based team, and are also being have in Laamu is a positive one. Our mission has brought, I am extremely proud of everything the MUI used for the lobbying of marine protected areas and always been to leave a legacy in the Maldives, to Photo credit for above © Justin van Jansen team was able to achieve in that challenging year. a Hope Spot in Laamu. leave this beautiful and unique part of the country Front cover photo © Neil Emmerson 4 MALDIVES UNDERWATER INITIATIVE ANNUAL REPORT | 2020 5 The Maldives Underwater Initiative governmental organizations (NGOs): WHO IS (MUI) is a multiple award-winning The Manta Trust, Blue Marine marine conservation initiative based at Foundation and The Olive Ridley Six Senses Laamu, a 5-star resort in the Project, all of whom work together to Maldives. MUI consists of staff from the reach research, guest education and MUI? resort, as well as its three partner non- community outreach goals. Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) exists to combat The Olive Ridley Project (ORP) works to protect sea The Manta Trust is a UK-registered charity that overfishing by delivering practical conservation turtles and their habitats in the Indian Ocean through coordinates global mobulid research and solutions, including the creation of large-scale marine research, rescue and rehabilitation, education, and The home base of the Maldives Underwater Initiative, conservation efforts. Their mission is to conserve reserves. Since 2016, the BLUE team at Six Senses outreach. Since 2018, ORP has worked to increase Six Senses Laamu sets itself apart from the 100+ mobulid rays and their habitats, through research, Laamu has been working closely with the local scientific understanding of foraging and nesting sea other resorts in the Maldives with its dedication to education and collaboration. Since 2014, the Manta community in Laamu Atoll to improve local fisheries turtle populations in Laamu, and has actively removed sustainability and marine conservation. MUI is an Trust has been working in Laamu to study the local management and create marine reserves. BLUE ghost nets found in and around the atoll. Guest initiative by Six Senses Laamu, providing the team manta ray population and to educate guests and believes this is best achieved if efforts are locally led. education and community outreach - communicating with a base, funding, and the resources required to the local community about the importance and A key aspect of their work focuses on building local the importance of sea turtles and the threats that they achieve research, education and community goals. vulnerability of manta rays in the Maldives. capacity for marine resource management. face - are key aspects of their work in Laamu. 6 years of 4 years of 2 years of 10 years of partnership with partnership with partnership with sustainable tourism Six Senses Laamu Six Senses Laamu Six Senses Laamu 6Photo credit © SaschaMALDIVES Janson UNDERWATER INITIATIVE ANNUAL REPORT | 2020 7 SIX SENSES SUSTAINABILITY FUND All Six Senses properties worldwide have Sustainability Funds, which are allocated towards projects that benefit local communities and ecosystems. The fund consists of 0.5% of total resort revenue, 50% of water sales, 100% of soft toy sales, and any guest donations. External donations made to Six Senses Laamu’s partner NGOs also make specific research, education and community projects in Laamu Atoll possible. In 2020, Six Senses Laamu spent USD128,661 of the resort’s sustainability fund on projects that positively impacted Laamu’s community, wildlife and habitats. The majority of this expenditure was invested in furthering MUI’s research, education and community projects. 8Photo credit © MALDIVESSix Senses Laamu UNDERWATER INITIATIVE ANNUAL REPORT | 2020 9 MILESTONES OF 2020 JANUARY MARCH MAY JULY SEPTEMBER DECEMBER Nine reef fishermen and Seagrass monitoring protocols In an effort to engage with the At Six Senses Laamu's organic Celebrated the first ever World Seven papers on MUI's research Six Senses Laamu signed designed by Six Senses Laamu millions stuck inside, the MUI team garden, 14 raised beds were Manta Day with the Manta Trust in Laamu were presented orally a fishing code of conduct and BLUE were adopted as the produced a vast range of content created to maximize yield from through guest and host activities at at the Maldives Marine Science designed by BLUE which national protocol by the Maldives for social media, including weekly the garden in preparation for the Six Senses Laamu. Symposium 2020. ensures both parties fish and Government. classes for Junior Marine Biology resort's reopening. trade in a sustainable way. online, instructional videos for the #AtHomeWithSixSenses campaign and a drone tour of the island's marine ecosystems. Due to the development of the OCTOBER #LaamafaruFestival2020 was COVID-19 pandemic, travel BLUE painted a Napoleon launched as an online alternative restrictions hit the Maldives and Wrasse wall mural together to the physical event. Under the Six Senses Laamu entered a AUGUST with the local community on L. With the ease in restrictions, Six theme “Eku Eky Dhas kerama” temporary closure. The MUI team Mundoo Island to highlight the Senses Laamu reopened and (let’s educate together), 14 videos remained on island, utilizing this importance of the area's reefs for BLUE hosted a webinar together welcomed guests back to the were created by local schools, time to further research projects this endangered coral reef fish. with the Maldives Marine resort on August 1st, 2020. NGOs and other community and develop innovative ways to Research Institute to teach groups, and were shared with continue educating remotely. stakeholders how to monitor Laamu community via MUI’s seagrass meadows using new social media channels. FEBRUARY APRIL national protocols. The Hello Hallo education In response to global lock-downs program first sessions for 2020 and travel restrictions, the MUI began at schools in Laamu Atoll. team launched the Junior Marine JUNE Biology online program. The Six Senses Laamu team conducted their biannual coral reef monitoring surveys on Six 48 staff from 24 schools in Laamu NOVEMBER Senses Laamu's House Reef. Atoll were trained to maintain Six Senses Laamu signed an MoU drinking water filtration systems. with Maamendhoo Women’s Adam Tholhath, Six Senses These systems were donated to all Development Committee to Laamu's Sustainability & schools in the atoll through the Six provide reusable bags to the L. Community Outreach Manager, Senses Laamu Sustainability Fund Maamendhoo community. won Stelliers Sustainable Hotelier and the Zero Waste Plastic Initiative of the Year 2020.