Current JANUARY 2020 - CORAL REEF ALLIANCE

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Current JANUARY 2020 - CORAL REEF ALLIANCE
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JANUARY 2020

CORAL REEF ALLIANCE
Current JANUARY 2020 - CORAL REEF ALLIANCE
a
                                               CHANGE IN
                                               LEADERSHIP
                                              A LETTER FROM DR. JOHN ANNER

     I’ve got some big news for you. In January of last year, I had the
     privilege of assuming the role of Chairman of the Board of the
     Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL). Since then, it’s been my pleasure
     to be part of CORAL through a busy and exciting time as we
     celebrated the organization’s 25th anniversary, unveiled our
     new Mission, Vision and Values, and published our signature
     paper on coral adaptation in the journal Nature Climate Change.
     I’m deeply pleased to see how CORAL has helped create a network of scientists, conservationists, governments
     and communities seeking global solutions. By rallying these communities, CORAL is building alliances to achieve
     lasting outcomes for coral reefs across the globe. This work places CORAL in the forefront of coral reef
     conservation, and we have assembled a talented staff that will allow CORAL to reach new levels of success.

     With this in mind, I want to let you know that, after eight years at CORAL, Dr. Michael Webster is stepping
     down as Executive Director. He’s been offered an opportunity to conduct critical research on how life on
     Earth can adapt to climate change. Fortunately, we had another terrific CORAL staff person ready to take
     on the Executive Director role.

     While these transitions are never easy, CORAL’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to promote Program
     Director Dr. Madhavi Colton to Executive Director. Madhavi will take over the helm of CORAL beginning
     February 1st. Over the seven years that Madhavi has been with CORAL, she has led the development and
     implementation of new science-based conservation strategies that are improving coral reef health around the
     world. She led the Program Department as the staff achieved impressive conservation program success, and
     she has also played a key role in launching CORAL’s Modeling Adaptation Potential (MAP) project to help corals
     adapt to climate change. I’m very excited to see how CORAL will reach new heights under her leadership, as
     Madhavi’s deep understanding of coral adaptation furthers CORAL’s ability to translate its scientific work into
     actionable management practices that save coral reefs across the planet.

     Michael has led CORAL since 2011, and over his tenure he has put CORAL on a sustainable path financially,
     strategically, and organizationally. Michael grew CORAL from an organization primarily focused on place-based
     activities to one that turns activities into action with measurable outcomes that improve coral reef health.
     He worked with Madhavi and other members of CORAL to create the concept of Adaptive Reefscapes as
     a compelling and scientifically-proven strategy for coral reef survival. In the last few years, Michael guided
     the creation of a 5-year plan that outlines how we can save the world’s coral reefs by establishing 45 Adaptive
     Reefscapes by 2045. His leadership has prepared CORAL to meet this strategic target.

     I speak for the Board when I say that we appreciate the thought and care that Michael and the rest of the
     CORAL staff have put into this transition. This is an incredibly exciting time for CORAL, and we look forward
     to another year of profound growth and achievements in coral reef conservation.

     Adaptively yours,

                                 John Anner, Ph.D. – Board Chair

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LASTING LEGACY
     “It has been an incredible privilege working
      with you, as all of our achievements have
      only been possible with your partnership
      and support.” – Michael Webster

                                                    When I joined CORAL in 2011, the organization had just 13 employees and
                                                    an operating budget of $1.5 million dollars. Over the years, our small but
                                                    mighty team has grown to 30 employees, and our supporters have grown
                                                    in number to help us reach an operating budget of over $4 million dollars,
                                                    enabling us to do more to help save coral reefs. During this time, our growth
                                                    has been fueled by our drive to find ways that coral reefs can survive on a
                                                    global scale.

                                                    As I reflect on the last eight years, I’m proud of what
                                                    CORAL has accomplished and how we have risen
                                                    to the challenge that coral reefs are facing today. We
                                                    have scaled our work from a few sites to regional
                                                    programs that are designed to help coral reefs
                                                    adapt to climate change. For example, our work in
                                                    Honduras has expanded from one reef on one island,
                                                    to a regional network spanning most of Honduras’
                                                    coastline. In addition, we are now partnering with
                                                    organizations and communities to tackle overfishing
                                                    and water pollution across the Mesoamerican Region
                                                    (MAR), including projects in Guatemala, Belize, and
                                                    Mexico. Similarly, in Hawaiʻi, the impact of our work is   It has been an incredible privilege working with you, as
                                                    reverberating through the state. Our work mitigating       all of our achievements have only been possible with
                                                    sedimentation and improving water quality is providing     your partnership and support. One of the best parts of
                                                    the clean water that baby corals need to be healthy        my job has always been to hear from you about why
                                                    and adapt to climate change.                               you care about coral reefs and how you are choosing
                                                                                                               to invest in their future. Your experiences and values
                                                    I’m impressed by how CORAL has advanced the                are inspiring to me personally, and they’re an essential
                                                    understanding of how to save coral reefs as earth’s        part of who CORAL is. Thank you for a memorable
                                                    climate continues to change. We have partnered             eight years of inspiration.
                                                    with some of the best minds in science to identify a
                                                    solution for coral reefs: Adaptive Reefscapes, which       CORAL’s future is bright. I know that Madhavi’s talent,
                                                    are networks of healthy reefs that collectively help       knowledge and leadership will allow CORAL to flourish
                                                    corals adapt to a changing environment. We’re now          and reach our vision- that the world’s coral reefs will
                                                    applying these ideas in our regional programs in           have adapted to climate change because we acted
                                                    the MAR and Hawai’i, and are partnering with other         swiftly. Please continue sharing your inspiring passion
                                                    organizations like The Nature Conservancy, to apply        and support and know that together, we can rise to
                                                    these ideas in reefs at risk across the globe.             the challenge and save coral reefs.

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Plant a Tree, Save a Coral

                     Jen Vander Veur is fighting an uphill   The uphill location of CORAL’s restoration projects tends to surprise        is the wind rustling over fallow fields. Decades of commercial farming for    CORAL’s monthly Watershed Restoration Day, where a team of volunteers
                     battle on the slopes of West Maui’s     people, but what many people don’t realize is that what happens on           sugarcane and pineapple leveled the forest and left a network of dirt roads   plant native seedlings across abandoned roads to prevent erosion. So
                     mountains. Jen is CORAL’s Program       land has a direct impact on the shoreline. During heavy rainfall, soil and   that provide the ideal conditions for massive amounts of sediment to enter    far, over 200 volunteers have planted approximately 8,000 plants that hold
                     Manager in Maui, and she’s leading      contaminants in watersheds enter streams, travel downstream, and get         streams and the ocean during rainstorms.                                      the soil in place and reduce pollution for coral reefs downstream.
                     the charge on restoring Maui’s once-    dumped directly into the ocean. Because ocean currents travel from
                                                             West Maui’s shores to the coastlines of neighboring islands, these           Jen’s work isn’t easy. She’s trying to reverse the effects of decades         This work comes at a critical time; Hawaiian reefs are currently
                     lush forest to stabilize the soil and
                                                             pollutants can end up on coral reefs near and far.                           of industrial agriculture by bringing back the forest. She’s also dealing     experiencing a bleaching event from the warming waters of climate
                     protect coral reefs downstream from                                                                                  with modern-day challenges, like motorcyclists accidentally running           change. But by providing clean water for coral reefs in Maui and across
being smothered by sediment. Jen’s work takes place in two   The name Wahikuli means “the noisy place” in Hawaiian, named for the         over saplings and monitoring equipment being stolen.                          the Hawaiian islands, we can help corals survive these bleaching events
watersheds of West Maui - Honokõwai and Wahikuli – that      sound of rushing water and the loud birds that lived in the cava and                                                                                       and remain a part of Hawaiʻi’s rich landscape and culture.
were identified as “priority watersheds” by the National     breadfruit trees. The forest of native plants once held the soil in place,   Yet she and our team in Maui have made incredible progress, building
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).               but now the trees, birds, and water are all gone, and the only sound left    on years of research by local partners and working groups. Jen leads

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Current JANUARY 2020 - CORAL REEF ALLIANCE
A NEW
                                 LEADER                                                                                             A LETTER FROM
                                                                                                                                    DR. MADHAVI
                                                                                                                                    COLTON

                                 This is an exciting time for CORAL, and it’s                           pioneering research is launching a new era in reef conservation that
                                                                                                        provides hope and solutions to save coral reefs.
                                 an honor and a privilege to become CORAL’s
                                 new Executive Director. Our work has never                             As CORAL’s Program Director, it’s been my privilege to lead our
                                 been more important than it is now, as the                             dedicated field teams, develop cutting-edge scientific partnerships,
                                                                                                        and bring our incredible work to a global audience. I’ve raised
                                 harmful effects of climate change are being
                                                                                                        awareness of our work at prestigious events like Boat International’s
                                 felt around the world. CORAL is on the cusp                            Ocean Talks and led our staff to bring in game-changing grants
                                 of incredible advancement with growing                                 from organizations and governments like the German Development
                                 regional programs and a new science-based                              Agency (GIZ), the Honda Marine Science Foundation and the
                                                                                                        National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
                                 approach to coral conservation. It is thanks
                                                                                                        We’ve also partnered with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to aid
                                 to our dedicated staff, engaged Board of                               their coral conservation and restoration efforts in the Caribbean.
                                 Directors, and supporters like you that we                             As you’ll read on the next page, partnerships like these are helping
                                 will be able to achieve our mission to save                            us achieve our mission on a global scale. As our organization has
                                                                                                        grown, I’ve made sure that our global presence and funding
                                 the world’s coral reefs.
                                                                                                        opportunities expand to keep pace with our programmatic work
                                 Over the seven years that I have been at CORAL, I have had the         so that we’re able to meet the increased needs of coral reefs
                                 pleasure of working closely with our inspiring staff in Honduras,      around the world.
                                 Mexico, Hawai`i, Fiji and Indonesia. By collaborating with local
                                                                                                        CORAL is in a very strong position due to Michael’s excellent
                                 communities and partners, our staff are not just helping corals
                                                                                                        leadership, our emerging scientific results, and the strong
                                 survive, but are also creating the conditions that will help them
                                                                                                        partnerships we have built with communities in our focal regions
                                 adapt to the effects of climate change. In Honduras, for example,
                                                                                                        and beyond. Our combination of community know-how and
                                 we have measurably improved water quality in West End, Roatán,
                                                                                                        scientific expertise perfectly positions us to achieve our mission.
                                 creating the clean water conditions that corals need to thrive.
                                                                                                        I’m excited to continue to grow CORAL’s work at both local and
                                 We’re also leading the charge to reforest the slopes of West
                                                                                                        global scales so that together, we can save the world’s coral reefs.
                                 Maui’s mountains, stabilizing tons of soil that would otherwise
                                 wash downstream and smother coral reefs. These achievements
                                 help reefs and people in Roatán and Maui, and, importantly,
                                 also demonstrate how to solve issues of water quality and land
                                 restoration in ways that can be replicated around the world.

                                 In addition to leading our field programs, I’ve also been working
                                 in partnership with world-class researchers to improve our
                                 understanding of how ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate
                                 change. We are using the information from the Modeling Adaptation
                                 Potential project to identify the actions that we can take today to
                                 improve corals’ chance of survival for the future. As John mentioned
                                 in his letter, we published our signature paper on coral adaptation
                                 earlier this year in the journal Nature Climate Change, and this

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Current JANUARY 2020 - CORAL REEF ALLIANCE
Partnering for Change
  by Dr. Madhavi Colton

  I
       n 2016, we at CORAL asked a critical question: What
       can we do to help coral reefs adapt to the effects
       of climate change? After four years of rigorous
       research, I’m proud to share our initial results. First,
   our science shows that corals can evolve to cope
   with rising temperatures, providing hope for the future
   of reefs. Second, we know how to help corals adapt
   by acting quickly to implement smart conservation
   strategies. These promising results are the first of many
   that will help us save coral reefs around the world.

   To arrive at these answers, Michael and I launched the Modeling
   Adaptation Potential (MAP) Project, a working group of ecologists,
   evolutionary biologists and conservation scientists. Our team didn’t
   just want to know whether corals could adapt—we also wanted to
   understand how we can help corals adapt to rising temperatures on
   a global scale. We led the group made up of scientists from Rutgers
   University, the University of Washington, the University of Queensland,
   and Stanford University to analyze how different conservation solutions
   perform through time. We did this by building a suite of sophisticated
   mathematical models, and we published our first results in the scientific
   journal Nature Climate Change in July 2019.

   These results provide hope for coral reefs by showing that, with
   the right approaches to conservation, we can help corals evolve
   to endure rising temperatures. The paper also showed that some
   popular conservation approaches, such as only protecting corals in
   colder water, didn’t perform very well over time. Instead, we found
   that protecting a diversity of reef types and temperatures was most
   successful at promoting evolution to climate change. “We found that
   a diversity of reef types provides the variety that evolution depends
   on,” explained co-author Dr. Malin Pinsky at Rutgers University.

   The paper also outlined conservation actions that can help corals
   adapt, such as reducing local stressors like overfishing and water
   pollution so that corals are healthier and better able to handle warmer
   temperatures. Most importantly, the results of the study show that
   we know enough to act—and with the effects of climate change only
   increasing, we have little time to waste.

   Today, we’re acting swiftly by leading the MAP Project team to
   create actionable conservation guidelines that will be used around
   the world. We recently hosted the MAP Science Advisory Group
   meeting in Roatán, Honduras, where our team began to synthesize
   research into regional coral reef management plans for the Caribbean,
   Pacific, and Coral Triangle. CORAL is also partnering with The Nature
   Conservancy’s Caribbean Program to determine where and how
   to implement their coral restoration efforts to achieve their goal of
   restoring one million corals across the Caribbean.

   By partnering with scientists, conservation organizations and local reef
                                                                                The MAP Project team recently
   managers, we’re turning science into action to achieve our mission of
                                                                                visited Cordelia Banks, Honduras to
   saving the world’s coral reefs so that people and wildlife can enjoy reefs
                                                                                conduct coral reef surveys and begin
   for generations to come.
                                                                                synthesizing research into actionable
                                                                                conservation plans for the Caribbean.

10 CORAL CURRENT | JANUARY 2020
CORAL’s Winter 2020 CORAL Current – Board, Staff and Council Listing

BOARD OF DIRECTORS               CORAL SENIOR STAFF                         Sheyla Maldonado                           DEVELOPMENT TEAM                        CORAL INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
                                                                            ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE COORDINATOR,
John Anner                       Madhavi Colton                             MESOAMERICAN REGION                        Natalie Scarlata                        Tony Birdsey
BOARD CHAIR                      PH.D., EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR                                                             ASSOCIATE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
                                                                            Jennifer Myton                                                                     Chrissie Bowen
William Kerr, Ph.D.              Michael Webster                            ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR,                Megan Crain
TREASURER                        PH.D., SENIOR ADVISOR                      MESOAMERICAN REGION                        DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS COORDINATOR      Linda Cain

Elizabeth Wagner, Esq.           Dory Gannes                                Pamela Ortega                              Daron Willison                          Joe Casale
SECRETARY                        DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR                       PROGRAM MANAGER, MESOAMERICAN REGION       DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
                                                                                                                                                               Steve Cohen
Michael Bennett                  Rusty Kelly                                Erica Perez
                                 MARKETING DIRECTOR                         PROGRAM MANAGER, HAWAIʻI                   MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM       Sarah Freiermuth
Jeffrey Chanin
                                 Danielle Knight                            Javier Pizaña-Alonso                       Yasmeen Smalley-Norman                  Cindy Glancy
Vani Keil                        FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR        PROGRAM MANAGER, MESOAMERICAN REGION       MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
                                                                                                                                                               John Hauswirth
Aileen Lee                       Diana Sokolove                             Antonella Rivera
                                 CONSERVATION PROGRAMS DIRECTOR             PH.D., PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR,       FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TEAM         Alex Kreston
Jim Lussier                                                                 MESOAMERICAN REGION
                                                                                                                       Kristi Jones                            Jill Kreston
Kirby Ryan                       PROGRAM TEAM                               Julio San Martín Chicas                    ACCOUNTANT
                                                                            PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MESOAMERICAN REGION                                           Bradley Mart
Jim Tolonen                      Tanya Amaya                                                                           Kehtzia León-Cervantes
                                 PROGRAM MANAGER, MESOAMERICAN REGION       Alicia Srinivas                            HUMAN RESOURCES AND OPERATIONS          Donna Miller
Rob Watt                                                                    ASSOCIATE PROGRAM MANAGER                  COORDINATOR
                                 Paolo Guardiola                                                                                                               Julian Osinski
                                 PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MESOAMERICAN REGION   Larissa Treese
                                                                            PROGRAM COORDINATOR, HAWAIʻI                                                       Ruth Shapiro
                                 Jos Hill
                                 ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR, HAWAIʻI        Jennifer Vander Veur                                                               Tom Schroeder
                                                                            PROGRAM MANAGER, HAWAIʻI

CORAL MAIN OFFICE : Coral Reef Alliance, 1330 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94612, 1.888.CORAL.REEF                                    @CoralReefAlliance          @coral_org        @coral_org
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