Section 3
Impact Below Water
Working with local communities around the world, we have rebuilt 79,000 square metres of reef in the most biodiverse seas on the planet.
Before and after
At its most effective, the MARRS method can transform heavily degraded rubble fields into healthy coral-dominated ecosystems within a few years. Drag the slider below to see this for yourself, comparing illustrative examples of a degraded rubble field and a nearby restored reef, 3 years after Reef Star installation.
Mars, and partners, Impact in numbers
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Published reports
We have a detailed monitoring program that regularly measures the progress of our restoration projects. Some of the outputs of this monitoring are detailed at these links to books and peer-reviewed journal articles. Explore more of our outputs on the resources page.
Williams et al (2019)
Large-scale coral reef rehabilitation after blast fishing in Indonesia, Restoration Ecology 27: 447-456.
Seraphim et al (2020)
Interactions between coral restoration and fish assemblages: implications for reef management. Journal of Fish Biology 97: 633-655.
Lamont et al (2021)
The sound of recovery: coral reef restoration success is detectable in the soundscape
International Coral Reef Initiative
A summary of our restoration approach and progress on the ICRI website
Nature Portfolio
A discussion of our collaborative approach published by the Nature Portfolio
Lamont et al (2022)
Multi-dimensional approaches to scaling up coral reef restoration
Williams et al (2022)
Enhancing automated analysis of marine soundscapes using ecoacoustic indices and machine learning
Next section
Impact Above Water
When we install Reef Stars, we don't just regrow coral. We invest in local community-led development programs.