There are few landscapes on Earth as mesmerising as a coral reef. Beneath the surface, violet branches reach skywards like submerged forests, honey-coloured domes rise from the seabed, and clouds of angelfish, butterflyfish and parrotfish weave effortlessly through a living city that has taken centuries to build.

These underwater worlds are among the planet's greatest natural wonders. Although reefs cover less than one per cent of the ocean floor, they support around a quarter of all marine life, protecting coastlines from erosion, storing carbon and sustaining ecosystems that millions of people depend upon.

Today, however, many of them are under unprecedented pressure. Rising sea temperatures, pollution and coastal development have left coral reefs increasingly vulnerable, prompting scientists, conservationists and coastal communities around the world to rethink how these fragile ecosystems can be protected.

For Jumeirah, whose destinations are defined as much by the sea as the shoreline, safeguarding those waters has become part of the experience itself.

Dubai is not the obvious place to begin a conversation about coral.

Summer sea temperatures regularly exceed 35 degrees Celsius, conditions that would prove fatal for many reefs elsewhere in the world. Yet the Arabian Gulf's corals have quietly evolved to survive some of the harshest marine conditions on Earth, making them an increasingly important focus for scientists studying climate resilience.

That remarkable adaptability inspired a restoration programme at Jumeirah Al Naseem, where the calm waters of the resort's Turtle Rehabilitation Lagoon became an unlikely testing ground.

"Our turtle lagoons are connected directly to the sea and therefore share the same water quality and environmental conditions. As they are continuously flushed with clean, plankton-rich seawater, we believed they could provide the ideal conditions for growing corals.," recalls Barbara Lang-Lenton, Jumeirah's Director of Biodiversity.

What began as a pilot project soon developed into a flourishing coral nursery alongside the resort's long-established turtle rehabilitation project.

Its success coincided months before the launch of Dubai Reef during COP28, an ambitious marine restoration initiative that aims to create one of the world's largest purpose-built reef developments. Through its collaboration with the Department of Economy & Tourism Dubai Reef initiative, Jumeirah has contributed to a joint milestone of 10,000 coral fragments planted across Dubai's waters. At Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab alone, the team has planted around 1,000 fragments, while training colleagues to monitor and care for the growing colonies.

The results are already visible beneath the surface, where fish populations have begun returning to newly restored reef structures.

Across the Gulf of Oman, the underwater landscape tells an entirely different story.

Here, the dramatic limestone cliffs of the Al Hajar Mountains disappear beneath remarkably clear water, where coral colonies cling to rocky outcrops alongside hawksbill turtles, reef sharks and shoals of snapper.

Unlike Dubai, the challenge is not extreme heat but seasonal change.

Each summer, the Southwest Monsoon draws cooler, nutrient-rich water from the ocean depths, a phenomenon known as upwelling. While essential to the wider marine ecosystem, these cooler temperatures slow coral growth, allowing algae to compete for space before young colonies have the chance to establish themselves.

Just offshore lie the protected Daymaniyat Islands, one of Oman's most celebrated marine reserves and a favourite destination for snorkellers and divers staying at Jumeirah Muscat Bay.

Recognising the importance of these waters, the resort partnered with Ocean Revive UK and the Environment Society of Oman to establish a pioneering coral restoration programme along the coastline. Coral fragments are carefully cultivated before being transferred to an underwater nursery, where they continue to grow until they are ready to be replanted onto damaged reef systems.

The programme has already completed its first phase, with thriving nursery corals demonstrating one of the country’s highest coral restoration success rates. Alongside ongoing scientific monitoring, the initiative is gradually opening the conservation process to guests, who will be able to adopt individual coral fragments, visit the nursery on guided snorkelling and diving excursions, and learn more about the remarkable ecosystems that flourish beneath Oman's waters. Educational workshops for both children and adults further encourage a deeper appreciation of the marine environment, helping conservation become part of the journey rather than something observed from afar.

Further south, the Maldives offers perhaps the clearest reminder of why coral matters.

These postcard-perfect islands exist because of coral reefs. Over thousands of years, generations of coral have built the very foundations upon which the archipelago rests, protecting its islands from waves while creating the lagoons that have become synonymous with Maldivian travel.

Yet those same reefs are increasingly vulnerable to bleaching, a process triggered by prolonged warming seas that causes corals to lose the microscopic algae responsible for both their vivid colours and much of their energy.

At Jumeirah Olhahali Island, reef restoration has become something visitors can experience first-hand.

Marine biologist Lewis Shedden leads guests into the island's shallow lagoon to plant coral fragments, offering an insight into the delicate process of rebuilding a reef one fragment at a time.

Across the island, coral fragments are growing on a range of restoration structures, including Mineral Accretion Technology, coral frames and coral trees. Early results are encouraging: fragments planted on the house reef have shown measurable growth, while the structures themselves are attracting reef fish and other marine life, with damselfish even using one restoration area as a nesting site.

"We are seeing encouraging signs of recovery across our coral restoration projects, with fragments growing well and marine life beginning to make use of the restored habitats. These early successes are allowing us to expand our efforts and develop new initiatives for both conservation and guest engagement," explains Shedden.

Beyond the restoration sites, guided dives, snorkelling excursions and semi-submarine experiences reveal an underwater ecosystem that is constantly evolving. Visitors are also encouraged to adopt simple habits that make a genuine difference, from choosing reef-safe sunscreen to keeping a respectful distance from fragile coral formations.

For travellers, coral restoration is often invisible work. It happens below the waterline, measured over months and years rather than days. Increasingly, however, guests are being invited to take part in that journey, whether planting coral in the Maldives, supporting restoration projects in Oman or learning about the remarkable resilience of Dubai's reefs. Across these destinations, Jumeirah is helping preserve some of the world's most extraordinary marine environments while fostering a deeper understanding of the oceans that define them.