Reef Exchanges

On this episode, we are joined by Daniel Toledo-Rodriguez, master’s student at the University of Puerto Rico, and Dr. Nilda Jimenez from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Daniel and Nilda talk about their recent work looking into invasive soft coral species that have been found in Puerto Rico’s coral reef ecosystems . From collecting samples and conducting genetic...

Eutrophication, species die-offs, and overfishing herbivorous fish and urchins have led to faster-growing algae in many areas of the Caribbean, preventing corals from recruiting and recovering from disturbances. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Alwin Hylkema, Associate Professor of Coastal Ecosystem Restoration at Van Hall Larenstein University and Wageningen University. Alwin describes his w...

In this episode, originally recorded for the 2025 Coral Reef Restoration Mentored Online Course, we speak with Suki Leung at the University of Queensland Marine Spatial Ecology Lab. Suki joins course mentors Margaux Hein and Caitlin Lustic to discuss methods and approaches for rubble stabilization in coral reef areas, an often crucial step in preparing an area for coral restoration activities. Man...

As a part of Bleaching Awareness Month , led by our partners with the Coral Reef Alliance and International Coral Reef Initiative, we check in with longtime friend of the Network, Dr. Steve Schill. Steve talks with Henry and Annick about the process of going from using a small drone affixed with a digital camera to survey reefs to operating a fixed-wing surveillance drone that can monitor hectares...

Description: In response to the excitement and interest across the Network in MERMAID after our webinar on the topic earlier in 2025 , we invited Dr. Emily Darling, Director of Coral Reef Conservation and Co-Founder, MERMAID, back to the network to talk with us a little more about how she developed the MERMAID platform . Emily brings along Shinta Pardede, Marine Science Unit Manager with the Wildl...

In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy Northern Caribbean Program, the Reef Resilience Network created a process for updating MPA management plans to be Climate-Smart and led implementation of that process with the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).  In this episode, we sit down with two BNT staff to learn about their experience. Ellsworth Weir, the Director of Parks, and Alyssa Bastion, a Parks...

Historically, funding for MPAs has often fallen short of what is needed to ensure effective management and successful outcomes. At the same time, governments around the world are increasing their commitments to create and expand protected areas, bringing further attention to the need to secure adequate funding and prevent MPAs from becoming “paper parks.”  In this episode, Dr. Angelique Brathwaite...

With the Convention on Biological Diversity’s ambitious 30x30 commitment—aiming to increase the coverage of "effectively conserved and managed" areas to 30%—there is renewed attention on the pivotal role marine managers can play in achieving this goal. In this episode, Lauren Wenzel, Director, National Marine Protected Areas Center, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dis...

As climate change threatens tropical coral reefs with warming waters, the search for areas where water temperature remains relatively cool during warming events has become a critical area of research. One avenue of research—known as the Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis—is investigating whether mesophotic coral ecosystems can provide sanctuary for tropical corals facing warming sea surface temperatures...

MPA Enforcement, better understood as Monitoring, Control, Surveillance, and Enforcement (MCS&E), can be critical to effective coral reef management efforts, and many members of the Reef Resilience Network have identified enforcement as an area where they need more training and support. To address these needs, the Network, in partnership with Blue Nature Alliance and in close collaboration wit...

In this episode, Henry Borrebach and Kristen Maize from the Reef Resilience Network are joined by Rob McDonald, Lead Scientist for Nature-based Solutions at The Nature Conservancy, to discuss Nature-based Solutions for managing wastewater pollution.   Nature-based Solutions provide an alternative to traditional gray infrastructure by using natural processes to capture and treat contaminated water...