Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS) stars are helping to rehabilitate small areas of the Great Barrier Reef, including at popular tourist spots at Great Keppel Island and Humpy Island Reef.
MARRS stars are steel structures with live coral fragments attached. They are placed on the reef and as the coral fragments grow over time, they help improve coral cover.
The Yarul Dhingiga: Keppel Bay reef rehabilitation project is using the stars to rehabilitate inshore fringing reefs at Great Keppel Island and Humpy Island Reef.
The project was delivered by the Reef Joint Field Management Program, which is a partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority) and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
The project has provided promising results for coral recovery at the project sites. It also demonstrates how innovation, collaboration and education is supporting Reef rehabilitation.
Helping the Reef to restore and recover is an important part of building its resilience to threats, including climate change.
