Mass fish deaths

In response to an observed widespread mortality of reef fish (in particular juvenile Odonus niger) thought to be caused by harmful microalgae, Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab partnered with the Marine Research Centre, to fly in Dr. Jacob Larsen, an expert from IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The team established testing which revealed that while there were harmful algae, it was not abundant enough to cause the widespread fish deaths. While the project did rule out a harmful algal bloom, it unfortunately was unable to determine the exact cause. Dr. Lasson’s visit did however raise awareness and introduced new field of study to the Maldives as well as introducing a new set of data to monitor the overall health of the marine environment, helping to build the capacities of marine biologists throughout the Maldives.