Maldives
Maaga is an inner reef, inside the rim of the atoll, with low-energy characteristics: corals of several growth forms, gentle slopes and lagoon patch reefs.
About two years after a mass bleaching event, Maaga had the lowest live coral cover of the six sites surveyed, 0.7%. Corallivorous Drupella snails were found there, also feeding on Pocillopora. The coral genera Pavona and Hydnophora were absent. Coral recruits (juveniles) averaged 12.61 ± 7.25 per square metre, and an average of 144.5 ± 30.93 cushion seastars (Culcita schmideliana) per hectare were counted, a sea star that eats corals, preferring juveniles.
On 05/04/2019, researchers collected the sea slugs Phyllidia varicosa, Phyllidiella striata, Phyllidiopsis xishaensis, Thuridilla gracilis, Goniobranchus setoensis, Cyerce elegans and an unidentified Phyllidiella here. In Faafu atoll, the good season usually runs from October to March, and the monsoon usually runs from April to November.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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