World Oceans Day

On World Oceans Day, we join our global community in celebrating one of our planet’s most precious ecosystems: coral reefs.

But this commitment to the world's oceans extends beyond a single day.

Through the Building Coral Program, we work year round to scale science-based coral restoration and strengthen reef ecosystems across the globe. Coral reefs are vital to marine biodiversity, coastal protection, food security, and the livelihoods of millions of people. Yet they remain among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth.

This year’s World Oceans Day theme, 'Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet', reinforces the global ambition to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. This is widely known as the 30x30 goal.

At Mars Sustainable Solutions, we’re proud to contribute through our own 30x30 goal: working with partners to establish restoration capacity across 30 countries by 2030. With active programs in 17 countries, 124 sites established, and more than 1.5 million corals outplanted, we’re on our way!

The Building Coral Program is powered by the Mars Sustainable Solutions team and supported by a global network of partners, scientists, NGOs, and local communities.

We know we're better together, and collaboration is essential to achieve reef restoration on a global scale. By combining scientific innovation, local knowledge, and community-based partnerships, we are working to build local capacity within communities to ensure restoration efforts continue to grow beyond the Building Coral program.

At the core of our approach is the Coral Restoration Toolbox, a range of techniques implemented by the Mars Sustainable Solutions team.

Coral reef ecosystems are complex and vary depending on the environment. Effective restoration is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

That is why the Coral Restoration Toolbox includes a diverse array of active coral restoration techniques, developed and implemented by the global coral reef restoration community. Each method offers unique ecological benefits and is designed for specific reef conditions. In some cases, techniques are combined to create a fully tailored restoration strategy customised to the local habitat, coral biodiversity, and environmental pressures.

1. Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS)
The Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS) uses modular steel structures called Reef Stars to stabilise damaged reef areas and provide a substrate for coral attachment and growth.
This method is particularly effective in areas where reefs have been completely degraded and require structural support. 

2. Microfragmentation
Microfragmentation involves breaking corals into small fragments to stimulate rapid growth. When these fragments are placed close together, they grow and fuse, forming larger coral colonies more quickly than they would naturally.
This technique is especially valuable for restoring larger, slow-growing coral species that are critical for reef building and long-term ecosystem stability.

3. Sexual Reproduction
Supporting coral sexual reproduction enhances genetic diversity - a key factor in building resilience in coral.
By collecting coral spawn during mass spawning events and rearing larvae in controlled environments before settlement, this technique increases the likelihood of survival and strengthens adaptive capacity in restored reefs.

4. Direct Outplanting
Direct outplanting involves transplanting nursery-grown coral fragments directly onto degraded reef areas.
This method enables rapid scaling of restoration efforts and is often integrated with other techniques to maximise survival rates and impact.

By leveraging multiple restoration techniques and tailoring them to local environmental conditions, we aim to:

• Restore the structural integrity and ecological function of the reef
• Increase coral cover
• Increase coral biodiversity
• Improve reef resilience

Every reef restored improves the local ecosystem. Every partnership formed builds local expertise. Every coral outplanted is a step toward a healthier ocean, and a healthier planet.

As we mark World Oceans Day, our mission remains clear: scaling coral reef restoration globally.

With more than 1.5 million corals outplanted and restoration sites across 17 countries, we are proud to partner with some of the brightest and best minds around the world to work towards this shared mission and turn it into real-world impact.

To learn more about our impact and the work being done around the world, explore our 2025 Impact Report: https://canva.link/dpe7w6pgyzn6j1z