THE University of Essex has joined the world’s largest programme to help restore coral reefs. Hope Reef, the largest coral reef restoration programme off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia has been unveiled with the help of the university’s coral reef research unit. Director of the unit and Chief Marine Scientist at Mars Inc, Professor David Smith said they are “thrilled” to reveal the reef. The reef, which can be seen on Google Earth, has been built to spell the word HOPE and is a symbol to show the world how positive change can happen within our lifetime. Prof Smith added: “Our efforts to restore and regenerate these precious ecosystems are showing exciting results and having a positive impact on communities, which we’re delighted to see.