Leading cat food brand helps to restore the world’s coral reefs

The project is part of the company’s focus on sustainable sourcing

Spotted: Coral reefs are increasingly in danger of dying, and with them go hundreds of thousands of species of marine life. For brands reliant on fish, restoring the health of the world’s oceans is a smart way to build a sustainable supply chain. Sheba, the Mars-owned cat food brand, recently introduced its Hope Reef project in Indonesia.

Using coral fragments attached to manmade reef stars, the Salisi’ Besar reef is slowly coming back to life. Nicknamed the Sheba Hope Reef, the structures along with the fragments help the coral to regrow. The growth creates a cycle of positive influence, with the healthy corals attracting fish which then attract other marine life.

Previously, the reef was almost completely dead, which is partially why Sheba arranged the reef stars to spell out the word ‘hope,’ which can be seen from above. The company has committed to a 10-year project plan, with 840 reef stars already added to the sea floor and more planned for reefs near Australia, Mexico, and the Seychelles.

As part of the Hope Reef work, Sheba partnered with The Nature Conservancy to create a monetised YouTube channel. Every time a video on the channel is viewed, the not-for-profit organisation receives the money for use on additional coral reef restoration projects.  

Innovators recognising the emergency facing the world’s reefs are putting technology to use in finding solutions. The stable bases of Danish wind farms are the foundations for new coral growth, and 3D-printed reefs are helping restore biodiversity as well as protect shorelines.