LONDON — Mars Incorporated’s SHEBA® brand has partnered with AMV Stream, the entertainment division of AMV Group, to release a new documentary on the Sheba Hope Grows™ program. The film, called “Reef Builders,” showcases stories from people behind the program and the vital role ocean communities play in restoring coral reefs.

Established in 2021, Sheba Hope Grows is one of the world’s largest coral reef restoration programs led by Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS). The program originally began with the HOPE Reef project in Bontosua, Indonesia, which involved installing a Reef Star, a steel structure, to transform a coral field into a flourishing reef. The project helped increase coral cover from 2% to 70%, according to SHEBA. 

According to the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), nearly all (90%) of the world’s tropical reefs will be gone by 2043 if no action is taken. This could potentially threaten 25% of the world’s marine life, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and impacting nearly one billion people directly or indirectly from the services coral reefs provide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the US Department of Commerce. 

Source: The SHEBA brand

The new documentary was directed and produced by Stephen Shearman and executive produced by Victoria Noble and Ben Padfield. Actor and environmental advocate Auli’i Cravalho served as associate producer. It highlights how the coral reef restoration program has grown and highlights the efforts of more than 200 reef builders working to restore these vital ecosystems. 

The film first showcases the project in Indonesia, told by local Bontosuan fisherman Samaila, who lived through the loss of the coral reefs and their subsequent regeneration, and then expands to detail restoration efforts in Lamu, Kenya; Moore Reef, Australia; and Hawai’i. 

“I’ve witnessed decades of coral reef devastation due to rapidly warming oceans, over-fishing and over-tourism. Restoring the world’s coral reefs isn’t something that can be undertaken alone — it requires the ocean community, businesses and consumers from all corners of the earth to unite around the reef builders and scale their efforts,” said David Smith, senior director of MSS and chief marine scientist at Mars Incorporated. “While we’ve seen promising success since the inception of the program, we still have a long way to go on this journey. Gaining the support of all who view this documentary will help us further the program immeasurably.”

By watching “Reef Builders,” viewers can show their support in helping ocean communities restore coral reefs, according to SHEBA. 

“As a proud Native Hawaiian I care deeply about our oceans as coral is a foundational species, both culturally and scientifically,” Cravalho said. “Working with the SHEBA brand on this restoration program and being part of this documentary has allowed me to partner with the scientists, local fisherman and divers of Hawai’i to give back to my community and help implement a groundbreaking, man-made solution to a man-made problem.”

Additionally, the film also shows how the MSS team, led by Smith, are collaborating with coastal communities to help further scale the program to further advance restoration initiative. It provides first-hand accounts from local volunteers fighting to save their coral reefs. 

“When I first read about Professor David Smith and his team’s work in Indonesia with HOPE Reef, I was in awe. But nothing could’ve prepared me for the experience of being on the ground and seeing firsthand how these ocean communities are rallying together to power real change below and above our oceans’ surface,” Shearman said. “That’s why ‘Reef Builders’ is really a film about humans. Through the telling of the moving, and at times harrowing stories of these reef builders, it’s my intention that the audience also builds a human connection with our coral reefs.”

Alongside its partners, the MSS team has installed more than 87,000 Reef Stars with about 1.3 million coral attached, according to MSS. Currently the Sheba Hope Grows program is supporting more than 30 restoration sites throughout 10 countries and five continents. 

“As a brand, we have a wide-reaching global platform, and we recognize it’s our responsibility to use that platform to help fuel positive change,” said Mindy Barry, global vice president of marketing for the SHEBA brand. “The release of ‘Reef Builders’ is a powerful new chapter in our larger mission behind the Sheba Hope Grows program. Through the documentary, we want to inspire and educate people on coral’s plight and its importance to our everyday lives.”

The documentary will be available for streaming this spring. 

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