Soneva’s Coral Program Earns UN Backing in Major Win for Marine Restoration
Soneva’s groundbreaking Coral Restoration Program in the Maldives has been endorsed by the United Nations and listed on UNESCO’s Ocean Decade platform, recognising it as a global model for reef regeneration and sustainable marine science.
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In a landmark moment for marine conservation, the Soneva Foundation’s Coral Restoration Program has received official endorsement from the United Nations and been listed on the UNESCO Ocean Decade website — an international recognition of its pioneering work in large-scale reef restoration.
Based in the Maldives and operating from Soneva Fushi’s AquaTerra science centre, the program is now the region’s largest coral restoration facility. Combining advanced marine biology with local collaboration, it has redefined how the tourism sector can contribute meaningfully to ocean health.
What sets the program apart is its blend of innovation and scale. The facility includes a Coral Spawning and Rearing Lab—Maldives’ first of its kind—replicating natural reef conditions to stimulate coral reproduction. Thirty micro-fragmentation tanks further accelerate coral growth, enabling up to 150,000 coral fragments to be produced and replanted on damaged reefs each year.
Since launching in 2022, Soneva’s coral team has relocated more than 31,000 coral colonies and fragments from threatened areas, establishing a thriving coral hub in the Indian Ocean.
he initiative is managed by Soneva Conservation, a Maldivian NGO set up by the Soneva Foundation, and forms part of the group’s broader sustainability strategy.
“This milestone is a testament to the scientific rigour and community-driven ethos at the heart of our work,” Dr Johanna Leonhardt, Soneva’s Coral Project Manager, said. “It validates the potential of hospitality to lead ocean regeneration at scale.”
Beyond science, the program engages governments, NGOs, research institutions and the wider tourism industry—demonstrating how cross-sector partnerships can drive real environmental impact.
The UN recognition now positions the project as a beacon for similar initiatives globally, reinforcing the Maldives’ role as both a luxury destination and a marine conservation leader.
The Soneva Foundation’s wider environmental efforts include carbon mitigation projects, reforestation, and waste-to-wealth innovation. As part of the Pallion group, Soneva continues to redefine what it means to be a responsible luxury brand.
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The global architecture studio behind some of Sydney’s most recognisable towers unveils Civic Vision, its first Australian exhibition, celebrating more than five decades of design shaping cities worldwide.
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Foster + Partners has opened its first comprehensive exhibition in Australia, Civic Vision, showcasing more than five decades of the practice’s global architectural work.
Staged inside Parkline Place, the studio’s latest Sydney project developed by Investa on behalf of Oxford Properties Group and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, the exhibition highlights the firm’s contribution to civic architecture, urban environments and infrastructure.
Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, said: “We are delighted to be putting on this first-of-its-kind exhibition in Sydney – a city we have been working in for more than 25 years. This is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on our holistic approach to civic architecture, which has underpinned our work since the 1960s, and continues to evolve to meet the challenges of today.”
Partner Muir Livingstone added: “It is a great privilege to showcase the practice’s work in Parkline Place – a project that we have been working on for the past six years – and the new home for our Sydney studio.
“Our projects in the city exemplify the civic and sustainable approach that the exhibition centres on. From our first Sydney project, Deutsche Bank Place, which features a four-storey public plaza at its base, to our work for Sydney Metro, which is transforming the way thousands of people travel across the city.”
The exhibition is organised around three themes – Community + Culture, Living + Working, and Planning + Mobility – and features Australian projects including Deutsche Bank Place, Salesforce Tower and Parkline Place, alongside international works such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters, the Reichstag German Parliament, and the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi.
Since the 1960s, Foster + Partners has expanded its approach beyond technological innovation to encompass social and environmental design, producing masterplans for carbon-neutral cities and civic infrastructure that prioritise light, clarity and connection.
Civic Vision runs until 21 December on Level 2 of Parkline Place, 252 Pitt Street, Sydney. Entry is free and forms part of the Sydney Open festival program.
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