Join Us In Celebrating 10,000 Outplanted Corals
Huge thanks to Stream2Sea for supporting our goal with a generous $10,000 contribution.
We are thrilled to announce that our dedicated and growing team, along with the help of incredible volunteers, has successfully planted 10,000 corals in just 2 months! Our recently completed Crazy for Coral Campaign, together with our exclusive reef safe skincare partner Stream2Sea, was a great success raising funds to help us plant 10,000 corals and then some between May 1st and June 30th. In the end, our team planted a total of 10,681 corals! This achievement is a testament to our commitment to preserving and restoring our precious coral reefs. But we’re not stopping there! With the support of our community, we aim to continue this important work and ensure the future of these vital ecosystems. Join us in celebrating this milestone and be part of the solution to protect our oceans.
If you missed our Crazy for Corals Campaign, don’t worry – you can still be the proud supporter of a Coral, Vertical Nursery, or Coral Tree.
Meet Our New Operations Manager!
Kevin Macaulay is a marine biologist with over 14 years of experience in the Florida Keys. He has worked with FWC, FDEP, and the NSU coral disease intervention laboratory, and has extensive experience in both field and laboratory work. He’s logged over 4,000 scientific dives, much of it focused on SCTLD, a heartbreaking disease that is devastating coral reefs. But even in the face of this challenge, Kevin remains dedicated to coral reefs. From the beginning of his career he has been devoted to protecting and restoring these essential ecosystems.
Kevin is also a live-aboard boater and has extensive hands-on training and expertise with everything that goes into engine and boat maintenance. He is passionate about sustainability and has been living his passion by equipping his boat with solar and wind power, and compost, to ensure his footprint is as small as possible. He put in 10,000 solo sailing nautical miles around the Caribbean in the last 12 years!
Last year, Kevin ran for city counselor on a green platform. Through this experience, he realized his passion for engagement and conversation with others about the issues surrounding the future of the coral reefs. He is passionate about the long-term preservation of the Florida Keys marine ecosystems and is committed to finding creative solutions to the challenges facing the region. He believes that education is key to tackling this problem, and he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others.
In his spare time, Kevin enjoys woodworking and being a foster dog dad.
We are thrilled to have Kevin join the Reef Renewal USA team! We look forward to the positive impact his experience and passion will have on our mission.
Summer Internship Field Report
This past May, our team expanded by two! Min Min Kelly and Brandy Arnette are the first two participants in our joint summer internship program with Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters. They have been splitting their time between the two organizations, learning about marine animal husbandry and coral restoration work.
Brandy’s Report:
My internship with Reef Renewal USA has been a transformative experience from the start. This hands-on opportunity has offered a unique chance to make a positive impact on coral conservation while collaborating with like-minded professionals. This immersive internship has not only equipped me with practical skills in coral restoration techniques, such as coral fragmentation, outplanting, and nursery maintenance but has also provided a ‘behind the scenes’ look into how a non-profit organization functions. Since we are only halfway through the internship, I still have much to look forward to, and I am excited to be a part of this dedicated team of marine enthusiasts.
Min Min’s Report:
