- In a recent historic four-day event, The Big Build, we restored a reef with 30,000 corals across 2,500 square meters with 100 people, bringing us closer to our ambition of restoring 1 million corals by the end of 2023.
- The Big Build is part of our long-term restoration commitment, which began 15 years ago and unites passionate participation from governments, NGOs, conservation organizations, science partners, businesses and local communities.
- To restore reefs, we rely on the innovative, low-cost method we developed in partnership with local communities and scientists, which uses connected Reef Stars — steel structures with coral fragments attached — installed across rubble fields and gaps among remaining live coral.
- Today, our reef program has reached 30 sites across ten countries and includes the installation of more than 60,000 Reef Stars, out planting over 900,000 living coral fragments. The program complements other initiatives aimed at protecting the future of corals around the world from the threats of climate change.
- As reef restoration pioneers, we’ve become a hub for knowledge exchange, teaching people from around the globe the art and science of coral restoration. Then they return to their communities, ensuring the future ripple effect of reef restoration.
- By sharing our expertise, fostering knowledge transfer and inspiring action, we’re helping preserve the beauty and biodiversity of our planet for generations to come.
- Coral reefs are crucial to Earth’s well-being but face an unprecedented crisis due to climate change and human activities. We’re committed to being a leader in the restoration and protection of these fragile underwater worlds.
Under the shimmering waters of the Spermonde Archipelago in Indonesia lies the Coral Triangle – a hidden ecosystem teeming with life.
Here, in one of the most diverse and biologically complex regions on Earth, we recently embarked on a historic mission, The Big Build, a restoration event that planted 30,000 corals across 2,500 square meters and brought us ever closer to our ambition of restoring 1 million corals worldwide(Opens a new window) by the end of 2023.
A year in the making, this four-day event exemplifies the power of collaboration and partnership, uniting over 100 passionate individuals from 17 Indonesian conservation and science partners, representing government, NGOs, businesses and local communities. Our shared dedication to restoring coral reefs transcends boundaries, demonstrating how collaboration across sectors can achieve extraordinary results in large-scale coral restoration.
But the Big Build wasn’t just a momentous occasion. It’s a testament to the long-term commitment of our Coral Reef Restoration Program, which came to life 15 years ago – and the remarkable technology at its foundation.
Since 2011, we’ve been continuously developing and refining a low-cost, reproducible method of coral reef ecosystem restoration through our Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS). Our method is based on installing a continuous web of Reef Stars — hexagonal sand-coated steel structures with coral fragments attached — covering barren coral rubble fields and gaps between the remaining live coral on the reef. The Reef Stars facilitate recovery and rapid coral growth, which not only leads to increased coral cover, but to revitalizing the entire ecosystem, both above and below the water’s surface.
Today, our reef program has reached 30 sites across ten countries and includes the installation of more than 60,000 Reef Stars, out planting over 900,000 living coral fragments. The program complements other initiatives aimed at protecting the future of corals around the world from the threats of climate change.
As pioneers in coral reef restoration technology, we’ve also become a hub for knowledge exchange. Today, passionate individuals from all corners of the world travel to our sites to learn the art and science of coral restoration. Then, these enthusiasts return to their communities with their newfound expertise, ensuring the ripple effect of reef restoration reaches far and wide.
Just before The Big Build event, with the help of Hawaiian-born actress, singer and cat owner Auli`i Cravalho(Opens a new window) and SHEBA(Opens a new window) announced its continued commitment to restoring coral reefs. The brand is thrilled to bring their efforts closer to home, through a partnership with Kuleana Coral Reefs(Opens a new window), a nonprofit organization helping to restore and protect Hawai`i's coral reefs and native ecosystem.
According to the UN Environment Programme(Opens a new window), coral reefs benefit an estimated 1 billion people, either directly or indirectly, from the many ecosystem services they provide(Opens a new window). Estimates indicate coral reefs provide up to $2.7 trillion per year in services, including providing critical natural infrastructure that protects increasingly vulnerable coastlines from storms and flooding, food security for vulnerable populations(Opens a new window), tourism revenue(Opens a new window) and even raw materials for life-saving medicines.(Opens a new window)
Yet if we do nothing, 90% of the world’s tropical reefs will be gone by 2043, thanks to the triple threat of biodiversity breakdown, climate emergency and rampant pollution(Opens a new window).
We know we can’t save the world’s reefs alone. By sharing our know-how, fostering this collective transfer of knowledge and inspiring action, we’re helping preserve the beauty and biodiversity of our planet for generations to come.
