Stars beneath the waves
Discover how Cora Cora resort are restoring coral reefs one reef star at a time. In partnership with MSS, Sheba®, and TGI Maldives, they're proud to lead one of the largest reef restoration programs in the Maldives.
A World Ocean's Day Special by Cora Cora Maldives
Cora Cora Maldives has launched an ambitious 5-year coral restoration project. This initiative unites the resort community, including guests, Freedom Fighters, partners, and Heads of Department. General Manager Justin Swart and Managing Director Martin van der Reijden lead by example. With support from Mars Sustainable Solutions and other partners, they are transforming their reefs.
This multi-year project stems from a simple belief: extraordinary things happen when a community unites. From young guests tying coral fragments to Freedom Fighters dedicating time in the water, everyone at Cora Cora Maldives plays a vital role. Together, we share the mission to protect our oceans and create a vibrant underwater world.
Bringing the Vision to Life
In 2023, a partnership was formed between Cora Cora Resort and Mars Sustainable Solutions. Two members of the Cora Cora resort team, Diving Center Manager Marcus Goh and Marine Biologist Giulia Morello were trained in Reef Star fabrication and installation to become certified MARRS Reef Builders.
The Cora Cora team have then gone onto deploy 191 MARRS Reef Stars at two sites in Maamigili, outplanting more than 2,800 coral fragments from a variety of species. These reef stars act as a foundation, promoting coral growth and increasing marine biodiversity.
Next steps for restoration at Cora Cora Resort
But the team at Cora Cora isn't stopping there. Cora Cora's coral restoration journey includes multiple coral restoration techniques to scale up efforts and create resilient reefs. Alongside reef stars, they have begun using rope nurseries to nurture coral fragments until they’re strong enough for outplanting. This is complemented by direct outplanting using coral clips and Ocean Quest’s methodology, allowing corals to quickly anchor to the reef and develop new habitats for marine life.
In the next phase, Cora Cora resort are also introducing microfragmentation through the “Plant a Million Corals” initiative. This method involves breaking healthy coral colonies into tiny fragments. This triggers rapid growth in a controlled, nurturing environment. Once the coral fragments reach the desired size, they’re transplanted onto damaged reefs.
Cora Cora have since developed a plan to install 700 Reef Stars over 3 builds in August, September and October, 2025, bringing the total number of Reef Stars installed at Cora Cora to 891, Mars’ third largest restoration site in the Maldives.
