JCU in sweet Reef deal
Confectionary giant joins in long-term coral project
ONE of the world’s largest confectionary makers has signed a deal with James Cook University to kickstart several research projects in the Far North.
US food giant Mars Incorporated will collaborate with JCU to fund a long-term coral reef restoration project on the Great Barrier Reef and cocoa production techniques to help small farming communities across the tropical world.
The agreement is the first of its kind for Mars in Australia, which will result in staff from both organisations using JCU’s research facilities in Cairns and Mars’ research sites and other sites across Indonesia.
The reef restoration work, which has been successfully trialled during the past decade off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, will be carried out at several reefs off Cairns and expected to be run for up to a decade.
It involves using sand-coated steel structures known as “spiders” to provide a stable base for coral fragments to regrow on a damaged reef.
The program has resulted in more than three hectares of reef being regrown in Indonesia, making it one of the largest reef restoration programs in the world. It was showcased at the Great Barrier Reef Restoration Symposium in Cairns in July last year.
Frank Mars, the vice-presi- dent of the company’s Sustainable Solutions arm, said they were committed to minimising their impact on the planet.
“In JCU, Mars will be partnering with the world’s leading university based in the tropics,” he said.
“I am excited about what this collaboration could mean for many of the communities that we work with around the world, in particular Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.”
JCU vice chancellor Professor Sandra Harding said the agreement with Mars Incorporated signalled the beginning of a partnership the institution hoped to grow to encompass areas of common interest, including sustainable tropical agriculture and coral reef restoration.
“The tropical zone is home to more than half of the world’s children,” she said.
“By 2050, more than half the world’s total population will live here.
“We’re excited to work with Mars on projects that will benefit tropics people and environments.”