Mars Coral Reef
Restoration

The SHEBA ® brand in Canada has partnered with Save The Beach Maldives (STBM), an organization committed to conserving and preserving the beaches and reefs of the Maldives.

In 2024, four members of the Save The Beach Maldives (STBM) team were trained in Reef Star fabrication and installation to become qualified Mars reef builders. Co-founder and President of Save the Beach Maldives, Hassan Ahmed (Beybe), then went on to complete his Mars trainer qualification in the same year. 

In October 2024, as part of their training, STBM, in partnership with Mars and SHEBA, installed a pilot Reef Star build at Villinghili. This build is part of the Maldives Coral Restoration Program in 2024 - the first National restoration program and the biggest coral restoration program in the Maldives. During the build, a total of 280 Mars Reef Stars were installed on the degraded reefs of K. Villingili, outplanting approximately 4,200 coral fragments. The build, involving local community members, young scientists and volunteers inspired the community to continue working together to protect their vital reef ecosystems. 

This year, STBM expanded their restoration efforts to build an additional 300 Reef Stars and outplanting a further ~4,500 coral fragments on the reef in Villinghili, with plans to continue expanding this effort across the region in years to come.

Through extensive training in the MARRS method, microfragmentation, and coral larval restoration techniques, this vital partnership between Save the Beach Maldives, Mars and Sheba Canada aims to enhance coral genetic diversity and create stronger, more resilient reefs.

For more information, please visit Save The Beach Maldives Website @Save The Beach Maldives