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LONDON, May 5, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

SHEBA(R)  unveils Hope Reef

    -- Leading cat food brand SHEBA(R) has begun work on the world's largest

       coral restoration program, which aims to restore more than 185,000

       square meters of coral reefs around the world by 2029

    -- The coral reef, which can be seen on Google Earth, has been regrown to

       spell the word HOPE to drive awareness and show how positive change

       can happen within our lifetime

    -- Visit the first-of-its-kind YouTube Channel

       (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfhq4b4p1I0 ) where with every video

       view, advertising revenue is donated to The Nature Conservancy to

       support its reef restoration initiatives

Hope Reef, the start of the world's largest coral reef restoration program, has

been unveiled off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The reef, which can be seen

on Google Earth, has been built to spell the word H-O-P-E and is a symbol to

show the world how positive change can happen within our lifetime.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1501768/Mars_Inc_Hope_Reef.jpg

Scientists estimate that if the world does nothing, 90% of the world's tropical

reefs will be gone by 2043, impacting nearly 500 million people who depend on

them for food, income and coastal protection[1]. The effort to solve this

requires global cooperation on a massive scale and SHEBA(R) hopes to play the

role of catalyst, helping to ensure the future has coral reefs and fish.

While the unveiling of Hope Reef takes place today, its restoration began two

years ago. Since then, coral cover has increased from 5 to 55%, fish abundance

has increased and we have seen the return of species such as sharks and

turtles. By the end of 2029, SHEBA's(R) ambition is to restore more than

185,000 square meters of coral reef at sites around the world – roughly the

size of 148 Olympic Swimming Pools.

Viewers who watch the SHEBA(R) Hope Reef story, "The Film That Grows Coral"

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfhq4b4p1I0 ) on YouTube will help raise money

for reef restoration. With every view, the advertising money generated is

invested into coral reef restoration through campaign partner, The Nature

Conservancy. This is the first time ever that 100% of the funds from a YouTube

channel have been monetized for sustainability efforts.

Providing a simple but effective solution, Hope Reef uses innovative 'Reef

Star' technology – 90cm-wide, star-shaped, steel structures that are handmade

by the local community in Indonesia. Each star is joined underwater to create a

strong web that covers the seabed and provides a stable base for coral

fragments to regrow.

Professor David Smith, Chief Marine Scientist at Mars Inc., said: "We're

thrilled to unveil Hope Reef and show that there really is hope for our oceans.

Our efforts around the world to restore and regenerate these precious

ecosystems are showing exciting results and having a positive impact on local

communities, which we're delighted to see. We hope our efforts inspire others

to join us so we can all play our part in helping to prevent the extinction of

our coral reefs."  

Dr. Elizabeth McLeod, The Nature Conservancy's Global Reef Systems Lead, said:

"Coral reefs are the heart of our oceans, supporting over a quarter of marine

life. Reefs also supply millions of people worldwide with food, livelihoods,

life-saving medicines, and protection against storms. It's imperative that we

scale up our work to protect and restore the long-term health of these vital

ecosystems, as well as addressing the threats that have caused their decline

and building their resilience to a changing climate."

Since 2008, SHEBA(R)'s parent company, Mars, Incorporated, has invested more

than $10m in research, restoration and community engagement as part of its

coral reef program. In addition, the company has invested $1 billion to drive

action for the protection and restoration of the planet and those who inhabit

it through its Sustainable In A Generation Plan

(https://www.mars.com/sustainability-plan ).

Tracey Massey, Global President of Mars Pet Nutrition said: "This is a symbol

of hope – hope for the future of our oceans and the start of a movement to

restore these vital ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy and our other

long-standing partners on coral restoration around the world ensure a promising

start to drive further action, acting as catalyst to inspire others and help

create a healthy, thriving planet for both people and pets."

To play a role in reef restoration, so that we have more coral today and more

fish tomorrow, watch and share this video #hopegrows: The Film That Grows Coral

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfhq4b4p1I0 )

About SHEBA(R)

The SHEBA(R) Brand knows that cat owners love cats for their independent

spirits, personalities, and discerning palates. That's why the SHEBA(R) brand

puts cats at the heart of everything it does, creating premium recipes with

irresistible real meat, no artificial preservatives or flavors, and designed to

entice cats' unique tastes and desires. The SHEBA(R) Brand appreciates the

relationship between cats and their owners and uses that understanding to

celebrate and fuel their unique bond. Look for SHEBA(R) premium cat food and

cat treats at retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.sheba.com.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to

conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science,

we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest

challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling

climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale,

providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable.

Working in 72 countries and territories: 38 by direct conservation impact and

34 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local

communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn

more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press

(https://twitter.com/nature_press ) on Twitter.

About Mars Petcare

Mars Petcare (https://www.mars.com/made-by-mars/petcare )is a diverse and

growing business with 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries dedicated to one

purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS(TM). With 75 years of experience, our

portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the

world's pets – including brands PEDIGREE(R) (https://www.pedigree.com/ ),

WHISKAS(R) (https://www.whiskas.com/ ), ROYAL CANIN(R)

(https://www.royalcanin.com/us/es_us ),  NUTRO(TM) (https://www.nutro.com/ ),  

GREENIES(TM) (https://www.greenies.com/ ),  SHEBA(R) (https://www.sheba.com/ )

,  CESAR(R) (https://www.cesar.com/  ), IAMS(TM)

(https://www.iams.com/checkupchallenge ) and EUKANUBA(TM)

(https://www.eukanuba.com/us ) as well as The WALTHAM(TM) Centre for Pet

Nutrition (https://www.waltham.com/ ) which has advanced research in the

nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading

veterinary health provider through a network of over 2,000 pet hospitals

including  BANFIELD(TM) (https://www.banfield.com/ ),  BLUEPEARL(TM)

(https://bluepearlvet.com/ ), PET PARTNERS(TM) (https://www.petpartnersusa.com/

),  VCA(TM) (https://vcahospitals.com/ ),  LINNAEUS(TM)

(https://www.linnaeusgroup.co.uk/ ) and ANICURA(TM)

(https://www.anicuragroup.com/ ).  We're also active in innovation and

technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL(TM) (https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us/

) genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE(TM)(

https://www.whistle.com/ ) GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO

(https://www.leapventurestudio.com/ ) accelerator and COMPANION FUND(TM)

(https://companionfund.com/ ) programs that drive innovation and disruption in

the pet care industry. As a family business (https://www.mars.com/ ) and guided

by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we

believe in – and we choose to fight for: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

About Mars, Incorporated

For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that

the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is

at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business.

Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our

commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.    

Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare

products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all

moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we

produce some of the world's best-loved brands including DOVE(R), EXTRA(R),

M&M's(R), MILKY WAY(R), SNICKERS(R), TWIX(R), ORBIT(R), PEDIGREE(R), ROYAL

CANIN(R), SKITTLES(R), BEN'S ORIGINAL(TM), WHISKAS(R), COCOAVIA(R), and 5(TM);

and take care of half of the world's pets through our pet health services

AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals(TM), BluePearl(R), Linnaeus, Pet Partners(TM),

and VCA(TM).

We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in

which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles — Quality,

Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our Associates to

take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its

people and pets can thrive. For more information about Mars, please visit

https://www.mars.com/ .

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook

(https://www.facebook.com/Mars/ ), Twitter (https://twitter.com/MarsGlobal ),

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/1544/admin/ ), Instagram

(https://www.instagram.com/marsglobal/ ) and YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/user/Mars ).

[1] IPPC Special Report (2018):

https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.pdf

sheba@freuds.com

SOURCE  Mars, Incorporated.