On the private island of Fesdu in North Ari Atoll, W Maldives has wrapped up a full week of ocean-focused experiences that invited guests to do far more than simply enjoy the view. Under the banner SEA OF STARS, the resort brought travellers, marine experts, and its own team together to actively restore the house reef and celebrate marine conservation through film, science, and hands-on reef work.
The initiative comes at a crucial time for the Indian Ocean’s coral ecosystems. Maldivian reefs make up over 3% of the world’s coral reef area and are home to around 250 coral species and more than 1,100 species of reef fish, forming the natural foundation for the country’s world-famous tourism and fisheries industries. These reef systems also act as natural breakwaters, able to reduce wave energy by up to 97%, shielding the low-lying islands from erosion and storm surges. Protecting and restoring them is therefore not only an environmental priority, but an economic and social one for the Maldives, where coral reefs contribute a substantial share of national income through tourism and related services.
Film, storytelling and a call to protect the ocean
The SEA OF STARS program opened on 26 October at FIRE, one of the resort’s signature beachfront venues, with an intimate screening of Peixinho (Little Fish). The film was hosted by its creator, award-winning wildlife filmmaker and conservation biologist Kaushiik Subramaniam.
Peixinho tells a moving story of ocean care and intergenerational responsibility, highlighting how personal choices and local action can influence the future of the seas. After the screening, guests stayed on for an informal meet-and-greet with Kaushiik, discussing how powerful imagery and storytelling can inspire real-world environmental action. Members of the MARS Sustainable Solutions team were also present, giving guests an early insight into the coral restoration work that would soon take place on the resort’s house reef.
400 Reef Stars, 6,000 coral fragments – and guests in the water
The heart of SEA OF STARS unfolded on 28 and 29 October, when the resort’s sustainability team and marine biologists moved from theory to action beneath the surface. Led by Harald Schaller, Sustainability Manager at W Maldives, and in partnership with MARS Sustainable Solutions, the team completed the installation of 400 Reef Stars and 6,000 coral fragments across the house reef.
Reef Stars are hexagonal steel structures, coated with sand and seeded with coral fragments. Developed as part of the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS), they can be deployed rapidly across damaged reef areas and then linked together to form a stable web over loose rubble. This framework creates a secure base for young corals to grow, helping degraded areas return to functioning reef within a few years and supporting a comeback in fish life and overall biodiversity.
At W Maldives, guests were invited to join marine biologists in assembling and deploying these hexagonal frames. What might elsewhere be a behind-the-scenes scientific operation became an immersive experience: travellers donned masks and fins, helped position the structures on the seabed, and watched as carefully selected coral fragments were fixed in place. The two-day creation and installation effort represents a major milestone within what is already one of the Maldives’ larger coral restoration initiatives on a single resort house reef.
Marine Program Lead for Maldives & Caribbean and Global Training Manager at MARS Sustainable Solutions, Kate Janetski, stressed that the partnership showcases how resort hospitality can support science-based reef recovery. She highlighted that seeing guests and the resort team working side by side to restore the reef demonstrates how protecting the ocean can be a shared, uplifting experience rather than a technical undertaking reserved only for experts.
A long-term marine restoration vision for Marriott resorts in the Maldives
While SEA OF STARS was a week of concentrated activity, W Maldives is treating it as the start of a longer journey. Under the leadership of Amila Handunwala, General Manager of W Maldives and Chair of the Marriott Maldives Business Council, the resort plans to use this activation as a model for expanding coral restoration efforts across the wider Marriott portfolio in the country.
Handunwala’s vision is to position W Maldives as a reference point for marine restoration within the luxury hospitality sector and to extend this approach to other Marriott properties scattered across the archipelago. Rather than viewing reef conservation as an isolated environmental project, it is being integrated into the core business strategy—an essential component of delivering modern, nature-connected luxury experiences in the Maldives.
Monitoring, guest participation and the future of the house reef
The newly installed Reef Stars will now be closely monitored by the resort’s marine team and MARS Sustainable Solutions over the coming months and years. Regular surveys will track coral survival, growth, and reef resilience, providing data that can guide further restoration work and refine best practices.
Guests staying at W Maldives will be able to witness this transformation firsthand. The resort’s marine biologist will continue to offer guided house reef snorkelling sessions, explaining how the restoration structures work, pointing out new coral growth, and introducing visitors to the reef’s returning marine life. For many travellers, the chance to swim over an active restoration site and learn how their stay supports long-term conservation adds a powerful educational layer to the classic Maldivian experience of turquoise lagoons and colourful reefs.
Sustainability beyond the reef
SEA OF STARS is one pillar of a broader sustainability roadmap that W Maldives is steadily advancing. Alongside coral restoration, the resort is enhancing its biogas plant, refining its waste management systems, and expanding solar energy operations to reduce reliance on imported fuel and lower its environmental footprint. These measures support a more self-sustaining island infrastructure, managing organic waste more efficiently, reducing landfill pressure, and harnessing the abundant tropical sun for cleaner power.
Such initiatives align closely with the wider shift towards ecotourism in the Maldives, where more resorts are investing in renewable energy, better waste handling, and marine conservation programs. For visitors, this means that a luxury stay can also contribute to safeguarding the very ecosystems that make the destination so sought after.
A destination where your holiday supports the ocean
For international travellers considering their next escape, SEA OF STARS at W Maldives offers a compelling example of how a beach holiday can be both indulgent and impactful. Guests still enjoy the signature comforts of a five-star private-island resort in North Ari Atoll, white-sand beaches, an exceptional house reef that wraps around the island, and overwater and beachfront villas set above crystal-clear lagoons.
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