Mars Coral Reef
Restoration

In the heart of the Dominican Republic, a powerful partnership is transforming the future of coral reefs. Mars Sustainable Solutions and local NGO FUNDEMAR are working hand in hand to restore degraded reef ecosystems using proven, scalable techniques. 

Through the innovative use of Reef Stars divers are rebuilding underwater habitats with precision and care. But this story is bigger than one reef. With community training, knowledge-sharing, and deep collaboration with local communities and scientists, this model of coral restoration is being replicated across the Caribbean—empowering local conservationists and giving reefs a fighting chance in the face of climate change. Together, Mars and FUNDEMAR are proving that when science, community, and commitment come together, we can heal oceans and secure sustainable futures.

Ever wondered how a coral reef can be restored? Join me as I visit the Sheba Hope Grows site in Indonesia to see how the team created the largest restored coral reef in the world! A massive thank you to Jose (@sherpajoseph) and Ikoz (@rzkymadjid) for the BTS footage!

Have you ever wondered how coral reefs can be restored? Check out my vlog from the Maldives where we build the largest restored coral reef in the history of the Maldives, planting more than 15,000 pieces of coral! #marineconservation #coralreef #coralrestoration #coral #wildlifephotography 

Hope grows, even in the most unexpected places. Varadero Reef shouldn’t exist, at least, that’s what science would tell us.

Located near Cartagena’s busy port, exposed to pollution, sediment, and freshwater runoff, this reef faces adversity due to conditions that would usually prevent coral survival. But against all odds, Varadero is thriving.

Through the Sheba Hope Grows™ Program, we’re working alongside @coralesdepaz to protect and preserve this rare ecosystem, studying why it survives so we can help reefs everywhere adapt and thrive.

This Earth Day, we celebrated our largest event activation ever at London's iconic Piccadilly Lights! For one extraordinary week, we created a platform for our ocean community through panel discussions, ocean films, and inspiring exhibitions that amplified the voices of those protecting our blue planet. Thousands joined us to experience stories from ocean storytellers, frontline conservationists, and pioneering organisations shaping our ocean's future. From breathtaking short films to heart-moving conversations, we embodied Earth Day's spirit of unity for the greater good. We're honoured to have featured astronauts, scientists, artists, and advocates on our stage. At its core, this event celebrated our living ocean and empowered stories that too often go unheard. On the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, the message resonated clearly: we live on an ocean planet in space. Together, we must protect all life below, above, and beyond. Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their stories, and helped amplify the ocean's voice. This is just the beginning. #EarthDay #OceanConservation #PiccadillyLights #OCL

Life began in the ocean, and I’m thrilled to take you on a journey that brings us back to where it all started.

Through a series of short films, we venture along the breath-taking Kenyan coast, uncovering the stories of local heroes and grassroots organizations working tirelessly to protect the ocean’s lifeline—coral reefs.

Our journey begins in Kuruwitu, a place of extraordinary beauty and resilience. This coastal community has led the way in ocean conservation, first by establishing a 30-hectare community-protected area and later expanding their efforts into a 12,000-hectare collaborative management zone. Today, in partnership with Oceans Alive, they are restoring coral reefs through innovative methods like the MARS Reef Star approach, safeguarding vulnerable reef ecosystems for future generations.

Follow this inspiring exploration of hope, community action, and ocean guardians making waves - "Reef Stars" on buildingcoral.com and Sheba Hope Grows.

Here at Mars Sustainable Solutions, we are so proud to announce the success of one of the largest single restoration events in history, “The Big Build”, planting 30,000 corals across 2,500 square meters, working towards our goal of restoring 1 million corals worldwide by the end of 2023. The event has taken more than a year in planning and marks a huge milestone in coral reef restoration and the Mars Coral Reef Restoration Program by showcasing what can be achieved through cross-sector collaboration. Click below to watch the hero video!

For over a decade, Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS), in partnership with local communities, scientists, businesses, NGOs and governments, has been developing and implementing a simple, community-led solution to help restore damaged coral reefs globally. Since the first Reef Star was installed, we have trained and created a global community of reef builders and advocates, involving more than 500 people from Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, The Maldives, the US Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Kenya, Colombia and Aruba. Collectively we have installed over 90,000 Reef Stars, out planting +1,300,000 coral fragments across 40 sites in 11 countries, spanning 5 continents.