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A 3D high-resolution general ocean circulation model was implemented and validated to study the characteristics and seasonal variability of the internal tides in the Arabian Sea (AS). Three major source locations of internal tides were identified: Socotra Island, the northeastern shelf area of AS, and the Maldives. Around Socotra Island, internal tides propagate both southward and northward, before quickly dissipating. The internal tides generated in the northeastern AS split into two branches: Branch-I propagates perpendicular to the shelf, whereas Branch-II propagates more southernly. The internal tides originated in the Maldives propagate almost latitudinally both eastwards and westwards. Generally, the internal tides in the AS are more pronounced in January as shown by the forcing function, energy flux, and conversion rate. The hourly average conversion rate for the entire domain, including the AS, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Gulf - was 34.28 GW in January and 20.51 GW in July, suggesting a slightly larger barotropic-to-baroclinic conversion rate in January, probably due to the strong stratification around 100 meters in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centred approach by using clinical scenario to achieve the learning objectives. This study aimed to determine the perception and attitude of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Maldives National University (MNU) undergraduate medical students and lecturers towards PBL in UKM curriculum. A cross-sectional study was conducted by using online selfadministered questionnaires based on a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaires were validated with Cronbach's alpha of 0.907 and 0.703 for students and lecturers respectively. A total of 179 UKM and 61 MNU students, and 67 UKM lecturers and 8 MNU lecturers were recruited in the study. 86.69% and 69.87% of students had positive scores in perception and attitude assessment respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in median and mean scores for perception and attitude between gender, university, year of study, and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of the respondents. For lecturers, 63.62% and 85.83% had positive scores for perception and attitude respectively. The attitude score among MNU lecturers was significantly higher than UKM lecturers. In conclusion, both students and lecturers showed positive perceptions and attitudes towards PBL of the UKM curriculum which gave benefits and contribution in enhancing knowledge, learning and soft skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unprecedented increases in both tourism and population growth have put extreme pressure on the Republic of the Maldives, which has resulted in significant changes to the islands as a result of construction activities. This study is the first to investigate perceptions of the benefits and barriers of implementing environmental management systems (EMS) in the Maldivian construction industry, and what effective measures and strategies exist to drive environmental management practices. A subjectivist stance and deductive approach have been taken with an online survey adopting a quantitative strategy with a range of construction professions across the Maldivian construction sector. Using a central tendency measure of weighted average, the respondents' opinions suggest that the primary benefits of having an EMS in the Maldives are perceived as the enhancement of corporate image and environmental protection; while the major barriers are lack of legal enforcement and the requirement for company structures and policies to change to accommodate an EMS. The findings also suggest that those companies who establish a waste management plan and where authorities enforce legal environmental requirements are believed to be the most effective means to encourage more widespread adoption. Based on these findings, it is recommended that managers, need to increasingly promote the principles of environmental management and sustainable practices/behaviours amongst construction industry stakeholders. Furthermore, policy makers within the Maldives should be exploring the viability of establishing financial incentive schemes (particularly for SMEs), in addition to encouraging wider adoption of EMSs across the Maldivian industry sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verified records of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas are lacking in the Maldives. This study provides the first confirmed evidence of 23 sightings observed from 2013 to 2023 in the central and southern atolls of this archipelago. Most of the sightings occurred in close proximity to inhabited areas, where food waste is often discarded into the water, or in several dive sites, suggesting the presence of this species in different locations around central and southern atolls. Although further research is required to fully investigate the C. leucas population in the Maldives, this report documents and confirms its presence in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural hazards like floods, cyclones, earthquakes, or, tsunamis have deep impacts on the environment and society causing damage to both life and property. These events can cause widespread destruction and can lead to long-term socio-economic disruption often affecting the most vulnerable populations in society. Computational modeling provides an essential tool to estimate the damage by incorporating spatial uncertainties and examining global risk assessments. Classical stationary models in spatial statistics often assume isotropy and stationarity. It causes inappropriate smoothing over features having boundaries, holes, or physical barriers. Despite this, nonstationary models like barrier model have been little explored in the context of natural disasters in complex land structures. The principal objective of the current study is to evaluate the influence of barrier models compared to classical stationary models by analysing the incidence of natural disasters in complex spatial regions like islands and coastal areas. In the current study, we have used tsunami records from the island nation of Maldives. For seven atoll groups considered in our study, we have implemented three distinct categories of stochastic partial differential equation meshes, two for stationary models and one that corresponds to the barrier model concept. The results show that when assessing the spatial variance of tsunami incidence at the atoll scale, the barrier model outperforms the other two models while maintaining the same computational cost as the stationary models. In the broader picture, this research work contributes to the relatively new field of nonstationary barrier models and intends to establish a robust modeling framework to explore spatial phenomena, particularly natural hazards, in complex spatial regions having physical barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal-borne video cameras equipped with depth and temperature sensors were deployed on 16 reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) in Raa Atoll, Maldives and 12 oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. These deployments provided descriptive behavioural data that give vital context to existing biotelemetry data and enabled a comparison of the social dynamics between the two manta ray species. Overall, cruising was the most dominant daytime behaviour recorded for both species. For M. alfredi , cleaning was the second most common behaviour, followed by courtship and feeding. No courtship behaviour was recorded for M. birostris. Across M. alfredi and M. birostris deployments, individuals spent an average of 43 and 8% of recorded time interacting with conspecifics, respectively. Sociability was higher in M. alfredi than M. birostris , however the findings should be interpreted with caution beyond the two deployment populations and times. Crittercams captured multiple courtship events of M. alfredi at depths greater than recreational scuba diving limits and captured previously undocumented interspecific interactions with M. mobular. Crittercam deployments also recorded M. alfredi travelling in groups and hugging the contours of the ocean floor, possibly as a tactic to reduce predation risk and/or improve swimming efficiency, enforcing the importance of this novel technology as a valuable tool to gain new insight into the ecological drivers of habitat use by these species. Lastly, these quantitative and descriptive results provide context for future hypothesis-driven research questions using animal-borne video cameras for mobulid rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nekton Maldives Taxonomic Workshop took place at the Maniyafushi Research Station in the Maldives between 12 and 23 February 2023. This workshop had two primary objectives. Firstly, it aimed to identify species from biological samples and underwater imagery collected during the Nekton Maldives Mission in 2022. Secondly, it sought to facilitate training and knowledge exchange sessions between early career researchers from the Maldives and international taxonomists. These sessions were designed to share knowledge and introduce fundamental taxonomy concepts and enhance practical identification skills for common reef benthic groups and major zooplankton taxonomic groups. A total of 24 people from 10 different countries were directly or indirectly involved with the workshop comprising nine taxonomic experts, eleven trainees and four organisers. Collectively, we identified 278 biological specimens including potentially undescribed species of hydroids, black corals, sponges and octocorals, 318 morphotypes for underwater footage and zooplankton composition congruent with previous reports from the Indian Ocean Region. Next steps will involve depositing the specimens into a more a permanent facility to facilitate the process of specimen description and knowledge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of heavy metals in Yellowfin and Skipjack tuna fishes from the Laccadive sea were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to evaluate the human health hazards via their consumption. The samples were collected from different atolls of Maldives to ensure a good representation of sample distribution. The metal concentration in tuna fish is found to be below the maximum tolerable limit set by different international organisations. The target hazard quotient values for individual metals were well below the limiting value of 1, indicating an insignificant health risk via the dietary intake of fish. The maximum targeted cancer risk value was 10 −4, indicating low carcinogenic risk from the consumption of tuna fish from the Maldives. Hence, the consumption of tuna from the Laccadive Sea is safe for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with adverse impacts on ambient air quality and human mortality; the situation is especially dire in developing countries experiencing rapid industrialization and urban development. This study assessed the spatio-temporal variations of PM2.5 and its health impacts in the South Asian region. Both satellite and station-based data were used to monitor the variations in PM2.5 over time. Additionally, mortality data associated with ambient particulate matter were used to depict the overall impacts of air pollution in this region. We applied the Mann–Kendall and Sen's slope trend analysis tool to investigate the trend of PM2.5. At the same time, clustering of backward trajectories was used for identifying the long-range air mass transport. The results revealed that the mean annual PM2.5 mass concentration was the highest (46.72 µg/m3) in Bangladesh among the South Asian countries during 1998–2019, exceeding the national ambient air quality standards of Bangladesh (i.e., 15 µg/m3) and WHO (10 µg/m3), while lower PM2.5 was observed in the Maldives and Sri Lanka (5.35 µg/m3 and 8.69 µg/m3, respectively) compared with the WHO standard. The trend analysis during 1998–2019 suggested that all South Asian countries except the Maldives experienced an increasing trend (p < 0.05) of PM2.5. The study showed that among the major cities, the mean annual PM2.5 value was the highest in New Delhi (110 µg/m3), followed by Dhaka (85 µg/m3). Regarding seasonal variation, the highest PM2.5 was found during the pre-monsoon season in all cities. The findings of this research would help the concerned governments of South Asian countries to take steps toward improving air quality through policy interventions or reforms. Moreover, the results would provide future research directions for studying the trend and transport of atmospheric PM2.5 in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proportional cover of rubble on reefs is predicted to increase as disturbances increase in intensity and frequency. Unstable rubble can kill coral recruits and impair binding processes that transform rubble into a stable substrate for coral recruitment. A clearer understanding of the mechanisms of inhibited coral recovery on rubble requires characterisation of the hydrodynamic conditions that trigger rubble mobilisation. Here, we investigated rubble mobilisation under regular wave conditions in a wave flume and irregular wave conditions in situ on a coral reef in the Maldives. We examined how changes in near-bed wave orbital velocity influenced the likelihood of rubble motion (e.g. rocking) and transport (by walking, sliding or flipping). Rubble mobilisation was considered as a function of rubble length, branchiness (branched vs. unbranched) and underlying substrate (rubble vs. sand). The effect of near-bed wave orbital velocity on rubble mobilisation was comparable between flume and reef observations. As near-bed wave orbital velocity increased, rubble was more likely to rock, be transported and travel greater distances. Averaged across length, branchiness and substrate, loose rubble had a 50 % chance of transport when near-bed wave orbital velocities reached 0.30 m s -1 in both the wave flume and on the reef. However, small and/or unbranched rubble pieces were generally mobilised more and at lower velocities than larger, branched rubble. Rubble also travelled further distances per day (∼2 cm) on substrates composed of sand than rubble. Importantly, if rubble was interlocked, it was very unlikely to move (< 7 % chance) even at the highest velocity tested (0.4 m s -1). Furthermore, the probability of rubble transport declined over 3 d deployments in the field, suggesting rubble had snagged or settled into more hydrodynamically stable positions within the first days of deployment. We expect that snagged or settled rubble is transported more commonly in locations with higher-energy events and more variable wave environments. At our field site in the Maldives, we expect recovery windows for binding (when rubble is stable) to predominantly occur during the calmer north-eastern monsoon when wave energy impacting the atoll is less and wave heights are smaller. Our results show that rubble beds comprised of small rubble pieces and/or pieces with fewer branches are more likely to have shorter windows of recovery (stability) between mobilisation events, and thus be good candidates for rubble stabilisation interventions to enhance coral recruitment and binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale disasters are frequently portrayed as temporally bounded, linear events after which survivors are encouraged to 'move on' as quickly as possible. In this paper, we explore how understandings of disaster mobilities and temporalities challenge such perspectives. Drawing on empirical research undertaken on Dhuvaafaru in the Maldives, a small island uninhabited until 2009 when it was populated by people displaced by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, we examine what such understandings mean in the context of sudden population displacement followed by prolonged resettlement. The study reveals the diversity of disaster mobilities, how these reflect varied and complex temporalities of past, present, and future, and how processes of disaster recovery are temporally extended, uncertain, and often linger. In addition, the paper shows how attending to these dynamics contributes to understandings of how post‐disaster settlement brings stability for some people while producing ongoing feelings of loss, longing, and unsettlement in others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Maldivian chess rules are presented and their similarity to pre-19th century Turkish chess is discussed, with musings on the potential role of Ottomans in spreading the "new game" invented in Europe – but played in their own manner – throughout the Muslim world and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris occurs in large numbers in the northern Maldives during the northeast monsoon season (December to April). These birds do not breed in the Maldives, but their breeding site(s) are unknown. We attached GPS Argos satellite transmitters to seven Lesser Noddies roosting on Gallandhoo Island (Haa Alifu Atoll, northern Maldives) on 25 March 2022. Only one transmitter provided data, but it tracked the migration of one Lesser Noddy to the Seychelles, where the bird first roosted on the island of Poivre before moving to the large nesting colony on Cousine. The tracked bird departed the Maldives on 02 April and arrived in the Seychelles on 10 April, covering approximately 2 400 km in eight days. Our results highlight the potential benefit of enhanced cooperation and knowledge exchange between the Seychelles and Maldives for improving conservation of Lesser Noddies in the Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding patterns in coral reproductive biology at local and regional scales is crucial to elucidate our knowledge of characteristics that regulate populations and communities. The lack of published data on coral spawning patterns in the Maldives hinders our understanding of coral reproductive biology and limits our ability to assess shifts in reproductive phenology over time. Here we document baseline environmental cues, spawning patterns, exact timings and oocyte development of restored and wild Acropora, inhabiting shallow water reefs, across two Maldivian atolls. A total of 1,200 colonies were recorded spawning across the two sites between October 2021 and April 2023. These colonies represent 22 species of Acropora, with coral spawning observed over an extended period of eight months. This research details exact spawning times of multi-specific spawning, asynchronous spawning and 'split spawning' of Acropora, across multiple lunar phases; and highlights the need to consider restored colonies when discussing the sexual reproductive patterns of Maldivian Acropora in the future. Overall, corals spawned earlier in North Male Atoll compared with Baa Atoll. Earlier spawning events were significantly correlated with lower tide depths, wind speeds, daily precipitation and higher sea surface temperatures which helped explain inter-atoll, inter-annual, and intra-annual variations in spawning day. This study contributes to understanding sexual reproductive cycles of Acropora in the Maldives; knowledge that is vital for effective management of a critically endangered ecosystem in a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs are exposed worldwide to several global and local human pressures including climate change and coastal development. Assessing the effects of such pressures on coral reef communities and the changes they undergo over time is mandatory to understand their possible future trends. Nonetheless, some coral reefs receive no or little scientific attention, as in the case of Huvadhoo Atoll that is an under-studied region in the southernmost area of the Maldives (Indian Ocean). This study analyzes the changes occurring over time in eight coral reefs (four inner reefs within the atoll lagoon and four outer reefs on the ocean side) at Huvadhoo Atoll, firstly surveyed in 2009 and revisited in 2020 using the same field methods. The cover of 23 morphological benthic descriptors (including different growth forms of Acropora) was taken into account and then grouped into three categories (i.e., hard coral, other benthic taxa and abiotic descriptors) to analyze the change in the composition of the coral reef community. Significant changes (e.g., increase in hard coral cover and decrease in abiotic descriptors) were observed in the inner reefs as compared to the outer reefs, which showed less variability. A significant decrease in tabular Acropora cover was observed in both inner and outer reefs, with possible negative effects on reef complexity and functioning. By comparing two time periods and two reef types, this study provides novel information on the change over time in the community composition of Maldivian coral reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue holes are submarine karst cavities with chemical and physical characteristics of the water column completely different from those in the surrounding environment. In this study a multi-parameter probe was used, for the first time, to characterise the water column of the Blue Hole of Faanu Madugau (Ari Atoll, Maldives, 3°55.799′ E 72°56.469′ N), the only blue hole described in the Indian Ocean up to date. Measurements of the temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll-α, photosynthetically active radiation, potential density, pH, and H2S were obtained with a high detail. Three distinct physical–chemical layers were identified from the surface up to 70 m depth. An intermediate and turbid layer, located between 40 m and 46 m depth, sharply separates the upper layer displaying water characteristics equal to those of the outside environment from the deep and more characteristic layer of the blue hole, where a unique environment can be observed. Waters are oxygenated, warm, and rich in chlorophyll-α in the upper layer, whilst waters are anoxic, colder, denser, and completely dark, with low pH values and high H2S content in the deep layer. The Blue Hole of the Maldives represents an extreme environment from a geological, oceanographic, biological, and ecological point of view. Further investigations will be thus required to understand the origin of the Blue Hole waters, the mechanisms that keep it isolated from the external environment, the influence of weather and marine forcing on it, and how climate change may impact it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to investigate and examine the impact of perceived social media marketing to customer engagement and brand loyalty. An attempt has been made to explore and report the intervening role of customer engagement between social media marketing and brand loyalty among online purchasers. Design/methodology/approach- A self-administered and structured questionnaire was developed and administered to a random sample of 233 online shoppers who purchased products/services online in the last 30 days. The study deployed the PLS - SEM to test the conceptual model since it is less stringent in working with non-normal data. Findings- Social media marketing has a significant positive impact on the customer engagement, which result in high brand loyalty among the online shoppers in the Maldives. The study reported that the customer engagement intervenes the relationship between social media marketing and brand loyalty as a mediator and not as a moderator. The study also identified a partial mediation of customer engagement among various customer groups based on their demographics. Originality/value- This study re- confirms the relevance of social media in modern day marketing decisions. It provides insights to the marketers to understand the potential of social media marketing in enhancing customer engagement and attaining brand loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon is fast garnering international interest for its disproportionate contribution to global carbon stocks. However, our understanding of the size of these blue carbon stocks, as well as the provenance of carbon that is stored within them, is still poor. This is especially pertinent for many small-island nations that may have substantial blue carbon ecosystems that are poorly studied. Here, we present a preliminary assessment of blue carbon from three islands in the Maldives. The higher purpose of this research was to assess the feasibility of using blue carbon to help offset carbon emissions associated with Maldivian tourism, the largest Maldivian industry with one of the highest destination-based carbon footprints, globally. We used stable isotope mixing models to identify how habitats contributed to carbon found in sediments, and Loss on Ignition (LoI) to determine carbon content. We found that for the three surveyed islands, seagrasses (Thalassia hemprichii, Thalassodendron ciliatum, Halodule pinofilia, Syringodium isoetifolium, and Cymodocea rotundata) were the main contributors to sediment blue carbon (55 – 72%) while mangroves had the lowest contribution (9 – 44%). Surprisingly, screw pine (Pandanus spp.), a relative of palm trees found across many of these islands, contributed over a quarter of the carbon found in sediments. Organic carbon content (‘blue carbon’) was 6.8 ± 0.3 SE % and 393 ± 29 tonnes ha-1 for mangrove soils, and 2.5 ± 0.2% and 167 ± 20 tonnes ha-1 for seagrasses, which is slightly higher than global averages. While preliminary, our results highlight the importance of seagrasses as carbon sources in Maldivian blue carbon ecosystems, and the possible role that palms such as screw pines may have in supplementing this. Further research on Maldivian blue carbon ecosystems is needed to: 1) map current ecosystem extent and opportunities for additionality through conservation and restoration; 2) determine carbon sequestration rates; and 3) investigate options and feasibility for tourism-related blue carbon crediting. Overall, the opportunity for blue carbon in the Maldives is promising, but the state of knowledge is very limited.

In 2013, the 11 Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region (1) (SEAR) adopted the goals of measles elimination and control of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) (2) [...]