While Mars Inc. is best known for candy bars like Snickers and M&M’s, the global food giant is also a leader in coral reef restoration. Over the past 15 years, Mars has planted more than 1.3 million corals across 12 countries and leading this effort is Professor David Smith, Chief Marine Scientist at Mars, founder of the Coral Reef Research Unit at the University of Essex and long time collaborator in the MTRU’s research.
Smith’s work focuses on addressing the urgent threats posed by climate change, which scientists predict could destroy 90% of the world’s coral reefs by 2050. Coral reefs are vital ecosystems, supporting millions of species and human livelihoods. They also hold strategic importance for Mars, which relies on sustainable fish supplies for its Sheba brand pet food.
Under Smith’s guidance, Mars has pioneered innovative, cost-effective methods to restore reefs at scale. Central to this effort is the reef star, a hexagonal steel frame covered with coral fragments that can rapidly rebuild damaged reefs. These modular units are strategically placed to maximize ecosystem recovery and over 90,000 reef stars have been deployed worldwide, with remarkable results: coral cover at Indonesia’s Hope Reef increased from 2% to 70% in just two years, while fish populations grew by 260%.
Mars’ restoration efforts reached a milestone in 2023 with the Big Build, one of the largest single reef restoration events ever. Over 100 participants from businesses, NGOs, governments, and local communities planted 30,000 corals in four days in Indonesia’s Spermonde Archipelago. Smith described the initiative as a testament to the “power of partnerships” in achieving impactful, community-driven conservation.
The program has also expanded its geographic reach. In Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea, Smith’s team is testing coral probiotics to improve resilience against rising ocean temperatures. This cutting-edge work complements Mars’ long-term goal of providing restoration “toolkits” tailored to different environmental conditions.
Smith’s leadership has earned global recognition, including a place on TIME Magazine’s 100 Global Climate Business Leaders list. Alongside changemakers like Bill Gates and Prince Harry, Smith’s inclusion highlights the power of academic-business collaboration to tackle climate challenges. Reflecting on this honor, he said: “This recognition emphasizes how combining distinct, yet complementary skill sets can lead to significant, positive impact.”
For Smith, restoring reefs is as much about empowering local communities as it is about ecological recovery. “It should be the natural behavior of communities that depend on reefs to rebuild them if they’re damaged,” he says. “And these are the tools that you need to be able to deliver that.”