Join Scientist in Every Florida School and EarthEcho International for a conversation with Coral Restoration Foundation™, the world’s largest marine-conservation non-profit organization dedicated to restoring coral reefs to a healthy state, both in Florida and globally. In this presentation, we will dive further into the overall biology of corals themselves and analyze the corresponding environment that they create. Often referred to as the tropical rainforests of the seas, these extremely biodiverse ecosystems provide a wide array of services for not only the organisms that live in/around them but also us as human beings. However, with the rapid degradation of reef systems like that of Florida’s Coral Reef, we not only risk losing the corals themselves but also these vital services that numerous individuals depend on. 

Follow us on social media @earthecho and @UFEarthSystems 

Guest Expert: JD Reinbott

A long-term ocean lover, JD has spent his life advocating for the conservation of numerous marine ecosystems, but it wasn’t until his time as a student at the University of New England where he discovered his passion for coral reefs. During college, he traveled extensively throughout the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System to collect coral population abundance, predation, disease, and bleaching metrics. Seeing these once pristine systems struggling to survive sparked his desire to actively make a difference and shortly after graduating, he started a yearlong internship with the Coral Restoration Foundation™. The internship allowed him to combine his interests of both restoration and education into one set entity and jump-started his career within the coral conservation world. After some time working abroad as a PADI SCUBA Instructor and Assistant Coral Program Manager for Marine Conservation Costa Rica, JD returned to CRF™ and the Florida Keys where he now directly manages the Volunteer Program, assists with the Internship Program, and actively partakes in the world’s largest coral restoration effort.

Website: www.coralrestoration.org 

Facebook: Coral Restoration Foundation  

Instagram: @coralrestorationfoundation

Twitter: @coralcrf

Standards Addressed: 

Big Idea 1 SC.7.N.1

Big Idea VA.68.C: Critical Thinking and Reflection

Big Idea VA.68.S: Skills, Techniques, and Processes

Big Idea VA.68.F: Innovation, Technology, and the Future

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