Restoring the world’s coral reefs is an endeavour that will require a cohesive and collaborative approach from not only the ocean community but business leaders, business models, and consumers from all corners of the earth, if efforts are going to see any semblance of success at the scale they need.

These are the sentiments of Professor David Smith, senior director at Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS) and Chief Marine Scientists at Mars Incorporated, the global food giant which has – through its Sheba Hope Grows programme – over the last four years played a vital role in the protection and restoration of coral reefs worldwide.

Since the launch of the programme, the Mars Sustainable Solutions team – led by Professor Smith – has travelled across four coral reef locations to partner with coastal communities and NGOs in a bid to help scale local coral restoration projects as part of its own global operation to fight for healthy coral reefs and marine ecosystems.

Today, the world’s coral reefs are in critical danger. Scientists estimate that on the current trajectory and without human interjection or conservation, as much as 90% of the world’s tropical reefs will be lost by 2043. Such a loss has the potential to threaten 25% of all the world’s marine life, impacting nearly one billion people worldwide that benefit either directly or indirectly from the ecosystem services coral reefs provide.

So what has this got to do with Mars Incorporated, a brand best known for its confectionary and a global food giant in the pet food market?

Through its Mars Sustainable Solutions programme, the business has, to date, worked alongside partners – coastal communities and scientific innovators – to install more than 87,000 Reef Stars (purpose-built steel structures upon which decimated coral-rubble fields are transformed into flourishing coral reefs) with approximately 1.3 million corals attached.

“As a brand, we have a wide-reaching global platform, and we recognise it’s our responsibility to use that platform to help fuel positive change,” said Mindy Barry, global vice president of marketing at Sheba – part of the Mars Inc family.

In its latest chapter, the team has just launched a special new documentary, called Reef Builders, a special feature developed to spotlight the inspiring stories of the people behind the Sheba Hope Grows programme and the vital role that ocean communities play in helping to restore the planet’s coral reefs.

Developed in partnership with AMV BBDO, the film is a result of the Sheba brand’s longtime commitment to supporting coral restoration as it documents the story of how Hope has grown globally, contributing more than 200 reef builders now working to restore this vital marine ecosystem. 

“I’ve witnessed decades of coral reef devastation due to rapidly warming oceans, over-fishing, and over-tourism. Restoring the world’s coral reefs isn’t something that can be undertaken alone – it requires the ocean community, businesses, and consumers from all corners of the earth to unite around the reef builders and scale their efforts,” said Professor Smith. 

“While we’ve seen promising success since the inception of the programme, we still have a loing way to go on this journey. Gaining the support of all who view this documentary will help us further ther programme immeasurably.”

Told through powerful on land and underwater photography captured by director of photography, Ossian Bacon, Mark Sharman, Tom Park, and Kyle McBurnie, ‘Reef Builders’ takes viewers on a journey to Bontosua, Indonesia, Lamu, Kenya, Moore Reef, Australia, and Auli’i’s native O’ahu in Hawai’i to offer an unprecedented looki into the fight to help save coral reefs worldwide.

Among the team behind the production of the film is actor and environmental advocate, Auli’i Cravalho, a native Hawaiian with an affinity for ocean conservation and restoration. 

“I care deeply about our oceans as coral is a foundational species, both culturally and scientifically,” she said. “In the Hawaiian kumulipo (creation chant), the coral polyp was the first organism created by the Sky-Father and Earth-Mother, so we see coral as our original ancestor and respect them as elders.

“Working with the Sheba brand on this restoration programme and being part of this documentary has allowed me to partner with the scientists, local fishermen, and divers of Hawai’i to give back to my community and help implement a groundbreaking, man-made solution to a man-made problem.”

The films begins with the programme’s most widely recognised success story to date, the restoration of Hope Reef in Indonesia. It was here that the reef was built using the programme’s iconic, simple, yet revolutionary invention – the Reef Star. The local story here is told through the lens of one Bontosuan fisherman, Samaila, who has lived through coral reef loss and coral reef regeneration.

The film aims to depict the trials, tribulations, success stories, and the ‘Hope’ guiding the programme forward. 

“The release of ‘Reef Builders’ is a powerful new chapter in our larger mission behind the Sheba Hope Grows programme,” said Mindy Barry. “Through the documentary, we want to inspire and educate people on coral’s plight and its importance to our every day lives.”

‘Reef Builders’ will be available to stream globally this spring.

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