Staff
The CRC is made up of full-time, part-time, and contracted staff from all around the world. Each brings their unique experience and perspective to the CRC.
Dr. Tali Vardi
Executive Director
Dr. Tali Vardi is the Executive Director of the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC), the global community of practice for the field of coral restoration - connecting scientists and practitioners, and providing the gold-standard of products to move the field forward. Tali brings 25 years of experience and has authored over 20 publications in the fields of habitat restoration, coral reef ecology and intervention science, as well as international policy, advocacy, and community building. She has been at the center of the coral restoration movement for over a decade, co-founding the CRC during her 11 years as a coral scientist at NOAA. Beforehand she earned her PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. Tali started her career in New York City - working with the Parks Departments’ Natural Resources Group in wetland and forest restoration and grant writing. Tali is a mom, swimmer, SCUBA diver, big laugher, and has recently started learning how to harmonize Bluegrass music.
Michelle L. Loewe
CRC Coordinator
Michelle joined NOAA’s Restoration Center in 2019 after a decade of travel working on the ocean in the marine construction industry. She received her undergraduate degree in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University and her Master’s Degree in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Michelle’s work focuses on providing technical assistance for the development, implementation, and management of coral restoration projects in the Caribbean. She has been with the CRC since 2018, initially as a volunteer for the Genetics Working Group, and now serves as a lead coordinator for the Coral Restoration Consortium and Reef Futures.
Jessica Levy
CRC Coordinator
Jess is originally from North Carolina but relocated to Florida following graduate school abroad. She started her career with the Coral Restoration Foundation as their Restoration Program Manager, working to develop coral nursery and restoration programs throughout the Florida Keys. After 8 years and as the program continued to grow, she moved into her current role as the Director of Coral Restoration Strategy- where she focuses on developing international relationships, trainings, and capacity building opportunities. In addition to her role with CRF, she is also one of the lead coordinators for the Coral Restoration Consortium. Jess has been working for the CRC since its inception in 2017. Currently she is focused on helping to establish greater connectivity throughout the globe by supporting our network of Regional Groups. Jess also serves as the fiduciary liaison between CRC and CRF, and is a key member of the Reef Futures planning committee.
Claire Spitzer
Communications Lead
Claire Spitzer is a marine ecologist and science communications specialist who holds an M.S. in Ecology from San Diego State University and currently serves as the Communications Lead for the Coral Restoration Consortium. With experience in both field research and digital outreach, Claire has spent several years working for non-profits, government agencies, and individuals in science communication, specializing in marine conservation. Claire combines her scientific background with creative skills in multimedia design, social media strategy, and digital storytelling to bridge the gap between complex marine science and public understanding, helping to amplify critical conservation messages about ocean health.
David Ojok
Communications Support
David Ojok is a communications strategist and creative storyteller from Tanzania, passionate about building digital communities that drive environmental and social change. With a background in climate justice, youth advocacy, and digital engagement, David brings over three years of experience turning ideas into content that sparks action. He's also an advocate for inclusion and equitable narratives, especially from underrepresented communities.
Matt Gamache
Coral Solutions Hub Lead
Matt is originally from the frozen plains of Minnesota. His interest in coral reef ecology started in high school when he first learned to scuba dive in Grand Cayman. So, he moved to Florida to pursue a BS in Marine Science - Biology from the University of Tampa, gaining experience in molecular ecology with seahorses, though he was still determined to work with coral reefs. After graduating, he moved up the road to the University of South Florida, where he is wrapping up his PhD. His work focuses on improving restoration efficacy by monitoring microbial communities and has taken him throughout the Florida Keys, Roatán, and even Okinawa! Throughout his PhD, Matt has developed a passion for making work a little easier (and more fun) for everyone, including restoration scientists, practitioners, and stakeholders, to foster a stronger, more capable community.
Board of Directors
The CRC is governed by a Board of Directors, charged with ensuring the CRC remains true to its mission and operates in a fiscally responsible manner.
Dr. R. Scott Winters
Chair
Scott is a serial entrepreneur of 15 years following a career as an academic scientist. His ventures have ranged from entertainment, through consumer goods to healthcare. Highlights of his career include the development of the world’s most technologically advanced pediatric cancer center. He has served on the board of directors for multiple entrepreneurial ventures as well as international non-profits. Throughout his career he has published 2 books, over 50 technical articles and popular papers, and amassed over 750 hours of public speaking. Scott received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in two simultaneous programs (Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity and BioInformatics and Computational Biology), received his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business, and is Phi Beta Kappa. Scott’s passion for ocean conservation brought him to the Florida Keys to inspire others to help save our ocean.
Tom is a quick-thinking proven conservation leader, working to make coral restoration relevant at scale while trying to ensure that the smaller efforts that got us to where we are today don't get left behind in the process. A firm believer that connecting to people and developing personal relationships is the best way to lead teams and affect global change. Tom was the founder and currently serves as the Director of the Reef Futures. He is a Senior Advisor to the KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative and was privileged to lead the founding team that launched the large-scale coral reef conservation effort in the northern Red Sea. Tom supports other emerging initiatives through his consultancy Global Coral Solutions.
Reef Futures Director
Tom Moore
As Senior Reef Strategy Lead at The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Joe Pollock spearheads strategic initiatives to protect, monitor and restore coral reefs throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Palmyra Atoll, and other reef sites globally. Throughout his career, Joe has collaborated deeply with scientists, managers, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members in Australia, the Caribbean and more than a dozen countries around the globe to develop the knowledge, tools and public will to protect coral reefs and the people who depend upon them.
Joe received master’s and PhD degrees in marine science from James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. He was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Penn State University, where he co-led the Global Coral Microbiome Project and is currently an adjunct assistant professor. He also founded Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Marine Science, an award-winning program supporting science career pathways for Indigenous students.
Advisory Board Chair
Dr. Joseph Pollock
Dr. Tali Vardi is the Executive Director of the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC), the global community of practice for the field of coral restoration - connecting scientists and practitioners, and providing the gold-standard of products to move the field forward. Tali brings 25 years of experience and has authored over 20 publications in the fields of habitat restoration, coral reef ecology and intervention science, as well as international policy, advocacy, and community building. She has been at the center of the coral restoration movement for over a decade, co-founding the CRC during her 11 years as a coral scientist at NOAA. Beforehand she earned her PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. Tali started her career in New York City - working with the Parks Departments’ Natural Resources Group in wetland and forest restoration and grant writing. Tali is a mom, swimmer, SCUBA diver, big laugher, and has recently started learning how to harmonize Bluegrass music.
Dr. Tali Vardi
Executive Director
Advisory Board
Corals don’t have a backbone, but the CRC does. And that backbone is our Advisory Board.
Members advise on ethics, long-range R&D, and global strategy. We strive for regional, topical, gender, and racial representation. If there is a region, expertise, or topic that you see missing, please reach out here.
The Coral Restoration Consortium Advisory Board Mission & Member/Chair Terms of Service can be found here.
As Senior Reef Strategy Lead at The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Joe Pollock spearheads strategic initiatives to protect, monitor and restore coral reefs throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Palmyra Atoll, and other reef sites globally. Throughout his career, Joe has collaborated deeply with scientists, managers, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members in Australia, the Caribbean and more than a dozen countries around the globe to develop the knowledge, tools and public will to protect coral reefs and the people who depend upon them.
Joe received master’s and PhD degrees in marine science from James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. He was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Penn State University, where he co-led the Global Coral Microbiome Project and is currently an adjunct assistant professor. He also founded Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Marine Science, an award-winning program supporting science career pathways for Indigenous students.
Dr. Joseph Pollock
Chair
Virginia Weis is a University Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University. Her research group studies the symbiotic relationship between corals and their microbial algal partners. These symbioses are central to the health of coral reef ecosystems and when the partnerships breakdown due to environmental stress such as global warming, the entire reef ecosystem is threatened. Her group studies the molecular and cellular signaling between the coral host and their algal symbionts. This work helps inform the development of solutions for saving reefs. Weis is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in 2022, she was awarded the Eminence in Research Award by the International Coral Reef Society. Weis has authored over 100 publications and mentored 20 PhD students, 13 postdoctoral fellows and instructed thousands of undergraduates. She served as Head of Integrative Biology for nine years.
Vice Chair
Virginia Weis
Troy has been engaging in The Great Barrier Reef space since 2013 for more inclusive participation for the coastal Indigenous peoples that share the resources of sea country. Looking to further develop joint partnerships between government and industry users in implementing recommendations from Traditional Owners of the GBR is both challenging and rewarding. Troy is currently the Yunbenun Rangers Co-Ordinator based on Yunbenun Country (Magnetic Island) sharing the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in Picnic Bay. He also serves as the Chair of the Indigenous Reef Advisory Committee.
Indigenous Reef Advisory Committee
Troy Johnson
Dr. Tries Razak is a leading expert in coral reef conservation and restoration from Indonesia, with decades of impactful research across the country. She is currently a senior research fellow at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science and the Director of the School of Coral Reef Restoration (SCORES) at IPB University. Dr. Razak holds a PhD from the University of Queensland (Australia), an MSc from Leiden University (Netherlands), and a BSc from IPB University (Indonesia). In the late 1990s, she co-founded the Indonesian Coral Reef Foundation to promote coral reef science and conservation in Indonesia. She received the 2021 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation for advancing coral reef restoration knowledge and the 2023 ASEAN Research Fellowship for studying urbanization's impact on coral reefs in Jakarta Bay. Dr. Razak was also the recipient of the 2024 World Reef Award from the International Coral Reef Society.
Dr. Tries Razak
Sam Teicher is the Co-Founder and Chief Reef Officer of Coral Vita, leading partnerships, government relations, fundraising, and storytelling. Coral Vita works to scale reef restoration in collaboration with fellow practitioners and local communities using a commercial, high-tech, land-based coral farming model. In 2021, the company won Prince William's inaugural Revive Our Oceans Earthshot Prize.
Sam previously worked on climate resiliency initiatives at the White House, the Global Island Partnership, and ELI Africa. His Yale College thesis focused on climate change as a threat multiplier to national security, and he launched Coral Vita with classmate Gator Halpern while obtaining their master’s degrees at the Yale School of the Environment. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur and Echoing Green Fellow, co-authored Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, still somehow plays rugby, and has been in love with coral reefs since becoming a scuba diver as a child.
Sam Teicher
Nicole is a Senior Conservation Scientist and co-lead with One People One Reef and Executive Director of the David H Smith Conservation Research Fellowship at the Society for Conservation Biology, a program that supports applied conservation postdoctoral fellows. Her primary areas of conservation focus are on community led coral reef conservation and management. The One People One Reef collaborative is focused on authentic collaboration and co-creation of action plans with indigenous and local communities, developing conservation and management tools aimed at protecting and restoring reefs and the people who rely on them. She was the founder, PI and Director of the National Science Foundation Center for Excellence in Marine Advanced Technology Education and PI/Executive Director for Camp SEA Lab. Nicole is an associate at the California Academy of Sciences, a National Geographic Explorer and a Fellow National at the Explorers Club. She was a faculty and program director in the California Community College system for 27 years., including at Cabrillo College for 20 years.
Nicole Crane
Dr. Phanor H. Montoya Maya is a marine biologist with a Ph.D. from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and three decades of experience in sampling and monitoring tropical and subtropical marine ecosystems. Specializing in coral reef restoration, he has been involved in significant projects worldwide, including the Reef Rescuers project in Seychelles. As the founder and former CEO of Corales de Paz, he spearheaded Colombia's largest coral restoration initiative, notably increasing the scale of restoration efforts in his home country. Currently, he serves as the Restoration Program Manager for the Coral Restoration Foundation, overseeing the preservation and annual outplanting of genetically diverse coral populations in the Florida Keys. As a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP), Dr. Montoya Maya focuses on large-scale, community-based restoration, leveraging scientific research and practical methodologies to promote resilience and align with ecological restoration principles. He has also organized and facilitated several international workforce development programs on coral reef restoration.
Dr. Phanor Montoya-Maya
Apple Chui (Aka “coral mum” from Hong Kong) is a Research Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, PEW marine fellow, National Geographic Explorer, and a recipient of the GGEF Women Eco Game Changer Awards - Eco star of China 2019. Her research addresses two main questions: How will projected future climate change affect corals that are currently present in marginal coral environments like Hong Kong? And can we enhance coral population resilience and restore degraded coral habitats at ecologically meaningful scales? As a committed science communicator and devoted conservationist, Apple has been actively engaged in public outreach and education activities on marine and coral conservation in Hong Kong. In 2018, Apple officially founded the now well-established education outreach programme “Coral Academy” (www.coralacademy.hk) that aims to raise students and public awareness and inspire action in coral conservation and restoration.
Dr. Apple Chui
Diwigdi Valiente has over a decade of experience as a project and program manager in Panama's public sector, responsible for developing the national tourism master plan, the national ocean policy, and the law that protects coral reefs. He is currently the Senior Global Coral Reef Conservation Program Manager at WCS. He holds degrees in International Business and Tourism Management, Economics and Finance, and a specialization in International Trade and Tax Law from institutions in Switzerland, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands, respectively. As a member of the Guna indigenous peoples, his unique perspective combines international education with deep-rooted indigenous knowledge, enabling him to effectively address sustainability and tourism management challenges.
Throughout his career, Diwigdi has focused on climate change, conservation, and tourism, influencing national policies and global platforms. He has been an active speaker at international events, advocating for sustainable development through a blend of innovation and indigenous wisdom.
Diwigdi Valiente
David Suggett is a Professor in Practice at KAUST, and Chief Scientist for the KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative (KCRI). He has worked for >20 years to unlock how environmental and climate change shapes capacity for corals – and coral reefs – to thrive and survive. He was previously Professor in Marine Biology at University of Technology Sydney (leading the Future Reefs Program), where he co-founded and was the inaugural lead for Australia’s at scale community-led restoration network, the Coral Nurture Program, on the Great Barrier Reef. He serves on the Advisory Board to the Coral Restoration Consortium and previously chaired their field-based coral propagation working group.
KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative
Dr. David Suggett
Bodhi Patil is a UN-recognized GenZ Ocean-Climate Solutionist dedicated to ocean health and human health. He fell in love with coral reefs at the age of four in Indonesia and has traveled to over 20 countries while living near diverse reef ecosystems on three continents. He strongly believes that developing symbiosis with corals offers insights into how humanity can become more resilient and adaptable.
Bodhi is a Coral Morphologic ambassador, ReefLine advisor, Kuleana Coral collaborator, and UN Ocean Decade Steering Committee member. He is the founder of InnerLight and co-creator of Ocean Uprise in addition to being a student-leader at the University of British Columbia. As a voice of the ocean and GenZ, he is an impact advisor for over 4 large organizations including the Minderoo foundation. He helps build bridges between young people, businesses, NGOs, and governments, to accelerate ocean action, policy, and investment. Learn more about his work and experience here: https://bodhipatil.com/
Ocean Solutionist
Bodhi Patil
Nirmal is a well-known figure in the Seychelles conservation scene having an encyclopedic knowledge of Seychelles biodiversity as well as a wealth of experience in environmental management. He was formerly the Assistant Director of Fisheries Research, the Director of the Seychelles Conservation and National Parks service as well as the Managing Director of an environmental firm, ENVIRO where he worked on projects covering almost every aspect of environmental management. He was the coordinator of the Seychelles National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan process and of the Environmental Management Plan of Seychelles 2000-2010. He has worked for international organizations such as the World Bank, IUCN, UNEP, Sida, and UNESCO.
Nirmal Shah
Anastazia was born in Brisbane, Australia and studied marine biology at James Cook University. She got her PhD from the University of California at Santa Barbara followed by a Smithsonian Institution postdoctoral fellowship. Since 1999, she has been a research professor at the Reef Systems Academic Unit in Puerto Morelos, campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, heading the Integrative Reef Conservation Research Lab. The focus is to understand the reproductive biology and ecology of corals, apply this knowledge to low cost, coral restoration programs and build capacity throughout the Caribbean region.
Dr. Ania Banaszak
Dr. Daniel Wangpraseurt is a German-Thai coral reef scientist leading the Coral Reef Ecophysiology & Engineering group at UC San Diego. Growing up diving and snorkeling on coral reefs in Thailand, he has since worked on reefs worldwide, including Australia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central America, and the Pacific Islands. He earned his PhD from the University of Technology, Sydney, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Copenhagen, the University of Cambridge, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His current research focuses on developing scalable, community-led technologies to restore coral reefs and benefit society. Dr. Wangpraseurt is an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Marine Science: Coral Reefs and co-founder of Hybrid Reef Solutions, a startup dedicated to advancing technologies for reef restoration and hybrid reef engineering.
Dr. Daniel Wangpraseurt