Four Seasons Team Diaries: August 2026

At Landaa this month, we transplanted 39 new coral frames, kindly sponsored by guests (14), the Resort (25), and online (0). The guest frames comprised of 7 Small, 2 Wedding Packages, 1 Large and 4 Hearts; the Four Seasons frames consisted of 8 Build-a-Reef, 5 Managers’ Cocktails, 2 Transfer Frames, 8 Summer Camp Legends, 2 visiting groups (SLCRI and Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy). In addition, we also monitored (cleaned, repaired, photographed) an impressive total of 415 coral frames around Landaa and Voavah.

To see the progress of your own frame, please visit our dedicated Four Seasons monitoring page where we upload new photos every 6 months or so.

Voavah Coral Frames

We spent several long workdays at Voavah from 28 August onwards, recycling and monitoring the frames around the Private Island. The coral team did double dives every day to complete the frames. We recycled and monitored both the new and older frame patches, with a total of 25 large frames completed. We focused on the frames outside the Bay. Some of the new frames were doing better than others, with approximately 50% of the fragments growing healthily across the completed frames. Fragments that were loose and mostly dead were removed, and healthy coral was reattached.

Legends Reef

We outplanted all the Summercamp 2026 Legends Coral Frames along the Seawall, creating the Legends Reef. We planted 8 frames in a line closer to the Water Villas. These frames are populated with Acropora and Pocillopora species. This reef was placed next to the Eastside Frames, which are growing well! Over time, we want to create a corridor of coral frames along the seawall to increase biodiversity and create a growing habitat that guests will be able to snorkel around. As the Summercamp continues, more frames will be added to this Reef.

Coral Spawning

We observed 2 colonies of Goniastrea spp. spawning over the August Full Moon (FM) period – exciting news for our coral team, as it is the first recorded sighting of coral spawning in the month of August! [Photo, below]

At Kuda Huraa this month, our coral experts transplanted 6 new frames, and monitored and repopulated 34 growing coral frames, across all our coral restoration sites around the island.

To see the progress of your frame, please visit our dedicated Four Seasons monitoring page where we upload new photos every 6 months or so.

Coral Reef Maintenance

Water Villas – This month’s scheduled monitoring provided a valuable opportunity to assess how the restored corals have responded to the elevated temperatures experienced in April and May. While some coral colonies did not survive the prolonged period of thermal stress, several others showed encouraging recovery. Frames relocated from exposed areas to the sheltered environment beneath the jetty have performed well, with the relocation appearing to provide more favourable conditions for coral growth and recovery.

Coral development remains positive across the different frame types, with Montipora foliosa showing particularly good growth on the flat frames, followed by Pocillopora species. The small frames are predominantly characterised by healthy Pocillopora verrucosa and Acropora growth. The variation in species performance across the site highlights the value of maintaining a diversity of coral species within the restoration programme, particularly following periods of environmental stress. Overall, Water Villas remains a positive restoration site, with several colonies showing resilience following the earlier thermal stress and continuing to contribute to the development of the restored reef structures.

House Reef: Maw’s Rock – The overall condition of the restored corals at this site remains encouraging, with healthy Acropora and Pocillopora corals dominating. During routine dives, including night-time spawning checks, a number of Drupella snails were observed and removed where necessary. Cushion stars were also collected as part of ongoing coral predator management at this site. Sponge overgrowth continues to threaten several of the corals at this site, with increased sponge growth observed across several frames. Some areas show greater coverage than previously recorded and will require continued attention during future maintenance.
Comparison of the monitoring photographs taken this month with those from six months ago highlights the rapid growth rates exhibited by these genera

Coral Predators

Coral predator management during August included removals carried out alongside routine monitoring and maintenance activities at restoration sites around the island. A total of three predatory starfish were removed during the month, consisting of two crown-of-thorns starfish from the Channel restoration site and The Reef Wall on House Reef, and one cushion star from Noah’s Rock on House Reef. Gastropod abundance was notably lower this month, as no dedicated cull dives took place. A total of 51 predatory snails were collected across the Water Villas, Blue Hole, House Reef, and Channel restoration sites, with Drupella spp. continuing to be the dominant coral predator.

Coral Reproduction Programme

During August, we continued our coral spawning research of previously undocumented encrusting and massive coral species at Kuda Huraa. In the first half of August, rough weather conditions limited the number of night dives the team were able to conduct. To overcome this challenge, the team observed Blue Hole by freediving when conditions prevented access to our usual spawning monitoring sites on House Reef. Throughout the August full moon, conditions improved, and all spawning checks were completed. The team performed ten night dives across the new and full moon periods; disappointingly however, no coral spawning was observed.