Thread by @NaajihDidi

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Murædhu Gan'duvaru Ali Manikfan (born 16 March 1938 in Maliku to Bodu Gan'duvaru Moosa Manikfan and Murædhugan'duvaru Fathima Manika) is a marine researcher, ecologist, shipbuilder, and a polyglot. But he does not hold any formal educational qualification.

Ali Manikfan devised a lunar calendar for the whole world. After discussing with astronomers he became convinced that Muslim shouldn’t use different sets of lunar calendars. He tries to find a way to make all Muslims accept a unified Hijree calendar.

Ali Manikfan found this new fish species while working with Dr. Jones, who impressed with Ali Manikfan’s capacity of observation and his deep and wide knowledge about marine life, gave this fish Manikfan’s name (Abudefduf manikfani) to perpetuate his memory.

In 1981 Ali Manikfan was given the responsibility of making a reconstruction of an ancient Arab trading ship, the Sohar, by Irish adventurer Tim Severin. He went to Oman to direct the team of carpenters. The ship, named after the city of Sohar in Oman, was completely hand-made,

using traditional boat-building techniques, and no metal was used in its construction. It took one year to build the 27-metre-long ship, and four tons of coir were needed to sew the planks of its hull, in the same way that ancient Maldivians had built ships.

Tim Severin traveled 9,600 km from Oman to China by this ship. Severin described his eight-month-long journey in a book, The Sindbad Voyage. The Sohar is now displayed at a Museum in Oman.

Ali Manikfan follows non-aggressive agricultural methods that take nature in consideration. For his 15 acre land in Valliyur in Tamil Nadu, he produces his own electricity from a windmill which he designed himself.