Mars Coral Reef
Restoration

It’s easy for the UK to forget about coral reefs, yet new research commissioned by the SHEBA® brand has found that 75% of UK adults are concerned about the state of the world’s coral reefs, yet over two thirds, say they don’t understand the role coral reefs actually play in supporting marine health. A further 72% cited climate change as the biggest perceived threat to coral reefs, with almost half believing there is no hope to save them. 

In a new video, Ellie brings the Sheba Hope Grows™ programme movement to life through compelling storytelling, urging and inspiring the UK and beyond to rally awareness and take action to preserve and restore the beauty of our oceans. As a proud island nation, the health and wellbeing of the UK depends on a healthy ocean and a healthy ocean needs vibrant and flourishing coral reefs.

“Although the world’s reefs feel so far away from the UK, the impacts of climate change effects our world’s ecosystems whether it be through flooding and changing weather patterns in the UK or the loss of coral reefs in the tropics, we must do more to give nature a chance to adapt and resist these changes."

With the world’s coral reefs at risk, ocean advocate Ellie Simmonds has once again joined forces with the SHEBA® Brand to show that there is still hope for the Great Barrier Reef.  The Sheba Hope Grows™ programme is demonstrating the value that restoration plays in rebuilding damaged reefs within Australia’s most famous reef. The Great Barrier Reef is just one of the sites where the programme is making an impact. Together with its partners, there are now 65 restoration sites in 12 countries, the world’s largest coral restoration programme.

“Preserving our oceans is something I have always been passionate about, especially with the water being a big part of my life for many years. I’m thrilled to be joining forces with Sheba Hope Grows™ programme again this year to show everyone a new story of hope. It’s incredible to see the power of reef stars and meet the team behind this small unique structure that has a big impact. Change can’t happen alone, it’s about the partnership between many organisations that just goes to show how powerful we can be when we have a common goal – saving our oceans. Action taken to restore coral reefs today, helps to preserve our oceans for generations to come.”

Joining the Marine Experts from the Mars Sustainable Solutions team at the Great Barrier Reef, Ellie took part in coral restoration up close and learnt how the team spent more than a decade developing a scalable solution with the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System. This utilises “Reef Stars”, hexagonal sand-coated steel structures, that provide a stable base for coral fragments to grow, which are planted on the ocean floor to kickstart the coral reef restoration process.

“Thanks to the Sheba Hope Grows™ Programme, the team on the ground in Australia has been able to install over 400 reef stars - bringing life back to these areas of the Great Barrier Reef.”

Ellie also saw the work the team carries out with partners such as Citizens of the Reef, who are using new methodology to census reefs in the Cairns region. This allows them to gather health data on the state of these reefs, using this as an opportunity to identify reefs that might need extra help.

“Through partnering with local communities, we can continue to promote biodiversity and drive important, sustainable solutions for our coral reefs, helping our fight against climate change. There is still more to be done but with our dedicated team and partners, it’s another extremely important step in the right direction.”

By showing the UK that there’s a scalable man-made solution to this man-made problem, the programme shows change is possible to rebuild previously damaged reefs, so they once again thrive and support ocean health more widely.