Maldives - South Male Atoll
Part of the regional summaries: Maldives - Central (Male Atolls / Ari / Vaavu) and Maldives
2016-01-15
2016-01-16
2016-01-17
2016-01-18
2016-01-19
2017-05-16
2017-05-17
2017-05-18
2017-05-19
2017-05-22
2017-05-23
More info
Maldives (NOAA CRW virtual station)South Male Atoll carries no photographs or cover figure of its own. The 17 Reef Check station-year records within 10 km (33 surveys, 2012-2025) ranged from 8.8% to 31% hard coral, averaging 23%; closer in, XL Catlin Seaview Survey transects recorded 5.5% to 38% (2015-2017), and Montefalcone et al. (2020) recorded 76% at Cocoa Corner in 2015, a best-patch value that may overstate the reef as a whole.
ދެކުނު މާލެ އަތޮޅު (South Male Atoll) ގެ މި ސައިޓަށް ޚާއްޞަ ފޮޓޯއެއް ނުވަތަ ހިރިގާ ނިވާކުރާ މިންވަރެއް ނެތެވެ. 10 km ގެ ތެރޭގައިވާ 17 Reef Check ސްޓޭޝަން-އަހަރު ރެކޯޑުގައި (33 ސާވޭ، 2012-2025) ހަރު ހިރިގާގެ މިންވަރު 8.8% އިން 31% އާ ހަމައަށް ތަފާތުވިއިރު، އެވްރެޖަކީ 23% އެވެ. އޭގެ ވެސް ކައިރިން، XL Catlin Seaview Survey ގެ ޓްރާންސެކްޓްތަކުގައި 5.5% އިން 38% އާ ހަމައަށް ރެކޯޑްކުރިއެވެ (2015-2017). އަދި Montefalcone et al. (2020) އިން 2015 ގައި Cocoa Corner ގައި 76% ރެކޯޑްކުރިއެވެ. އެއީ ފަރުގެ އެންމެ ރަނގަޅު ބައެއްގެ (best patch) އަދަދަކަށް ވާތީ، މުޅި ފަރުގެ ޙާލަތަށްވުރެ ބޮޑަށް ދައްކާފައި ވެދާނެއެވެ.
AI translation of this summary; the English is authoritative. (low confidence)
mean; range 29.1–30.0°C
Six independent survey stations shown with the program’s logo — click one to see how far it is from this site.
Seven other CRD dive sites with their own pages within 5 km shown in orange — click a marker to open its page.
Site description
Setting
South Male Atoll is a central Maldivian atoll (3.95 N, 73.50 E), immediately south of North Male across the Vaadhoo Channel.
Coral cover
- This atoll marker carries no photographs or cover figure of its own: Anderson's South Male Atoll dives (14-19 January 2016 and 16-23 May 2017) are on 17 site pins of their own (Anantara Dhigu house reef, Big Sand Bank, Ghuli Faru, Hodeli Bodu Giri, Kandooma Thila, Kuda Giri Wreck, Lohosfushi Corner, Maafushi, Miyaro Faru, Miyaru Bay, Raaeundi Reef, Little Sandy Bank, Stage, Vaadhoo Caves, Veli, Veligandu, and Vilivaru Giri).
Stressors
Satellite five-year mean annual maximum heat stress at NOAA Coral Reef Watch's Maldives virtual station: 2.2 degree heating weeks.
Comparisons with other data
Gulhi Island Backreef, the closest Reef Check site, 5.04 km away, read 19% in 2022. At 5 km this describes the surrounding area, not this reef. Across all 17 Reef Check station-year records within 10 km (33 surveys, 2012-2025), hard coral ranged from 8.8% to 31%, averaging 23%. Other programs recorded higher values closer to this point: 38% on XL Catlin Seaview Survey transect 37036 (2015, 1.13 km) and 76% at Cocoa Corner (Montefalcone et al. 2020; 2015, 3.52 km), a best-patch value: surveys often target a coral-dense part of a reef, so it may overstate the reef as a whole.
Independent surveys nearby
| Agency / program | Year(s) | Stations / distance | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montefalcone et al. (2020) | 2015 | 1 station, 3.52 km | Records ↓ |
| Montefalcone et al. 2026 | 2023–2025 | 3 stations, 2.83–4.51 km | Records ↓ |
| XL Catlin Seaview Survey | 2015–2017 | 2 stations, 0.40–1.13 km | Records ↓ |
Within 5 km, 6 independent survey stations recorded hard coral cover in 10 records between 2015 and 2025. Of the 4 stations surveyed in more than one year, 3 were scored by divers or by people annotating photographs: 3 declined (by 4.0–35 points) between their first and latest surveys. The other 1 was scored by automated image analysis: changed by 7 points or less, inside the 7-point method-noise floor (inconclusive). Two stations have the longest records (2 years each); one, transect 37035 (XL Catlin Seaview Survey, 0.40 km away), went from 7.1% in 2015 to 5.5% in 2017. Since 2021, station-year means average 44% (range 37–60%; n = 5 station-years from 5 records); 1 best-patch value above 70% is left out, as it is not a site mean.
Collected by other programs using different methods (the XL Catlin Seaview Survey uses photo-transects with automated image annotation), so these are context for the figures above, not a like-for-like comparison. Where a station was surveyed more than once, the cell shows either the range of its values or, as a single value, the mean of surveys made in one year. Station names are not dive-site names. Values above 70% are marked “best patch”: surveys often target the densest coral on a reef, so these may overstate the site as a whole.
| Agency | Site / location | Date | Hard coral cover (%) | Distance | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XL Catlin Seaview Survey | transect 37035 | 2015–2017 | 5.5–7.1% (2 surveys) | 0.40 km | doi:10.14264/uql.2019.930 |
| XL Catlin Seaview Survey | transect 37036 | 2015 | 38% | 1.13 km | doi:10.14264/uql.2019.930 |
| Montefalcone et al. (2020) | Cocoa Corner | 2015 | 76% best patch | 3.52 km | doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00587 |
| Montefalcone et al. 2026 | Cocoa Beyru | 2023–2025 | 37–72% (2 surveys) best patch | 4.51 km | doi:10.1007/s00338-026-02850-x |
| Montefalcone et al. 2026 | Kuda Giri Wreck | 2024–2025 | 39–43% (2 surveys) | 2.83 km | doi:10.1007/s00338-026-02850-x |
| Montefalcone et al. 2026 | Bajiy Giri | 2024–2025 | 43–60% (2 surveys) | 4.10 km | doi:10.1007/s00338-026-02850-x |
Data & links
Data on this page are from the organizations named in the data sources above, not Coral Reef Diagnostics; Coral Reef Diagnostics has no coral cover estimate of its own at this site.
© Coral Reef Diagnostics.
References
- Montefalcone M, Morri C, Bianchi CN (2020). Influence of Local Pressures on Maldivian Coral Reef Resilience Following Repeated Bleaching Events, and Recovery Perspectives. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:587. PDF
- Montefalcone M, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Ahmed H, Pancrazi I (2026). Outcomes of the fourth global coral bleaching (2023–2024) in the Maldives. Coral Reefs. DOI
- Gonzalez-Rivero M, et al. (2019). Seaview Survey photo-quadrat and image classification dataset. The University of Queensland (UQ eSpace) data collection. DOI