http://www.coralations.org/about_coralations/index.htm

http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2002/vol6n35/ConserConster-en.html

Maryann Lucking is the founder and current Director of CORALations , a nonprofit membership coral reef conservation organization based in Puerto Rico.   Since 1995, the tall blond powerhouse has worked tirelessly to fulfill the mission of CORALations to CONSERVE, NURTURE, and EDUCATE  by working with Caribbean communities to protect and restore their coral reefs.   She leads CORALations to implement aggressive conservation initiatives with public education and community participation. These initiatives focus on “real time” solutions to coral reef  conservation and address the modification of two human behaviors impacting Caribbean coral reefs: pollution of coastal waters, and direct physical damage. 

Under her leadership, CORALations works to establish “no-take” marine fishery reserve areas.  It provides assistance to local scientists collecting data to support marine reserve areas and educate the public about the importance of the coral reef ecosystem and threats to this ecosystem.

Maryann is justifiably proud of the Conservation Youth Corps, where local teens learn ocean conservation issues by participating hands-on in marine biological field research and are then encouraged to take part in educational outreach presentations to share their knowledge and experiences with peers and adults in a public forum.  CORALations also distributes bilingual educational materials on the coral reef ecosystem to schools and to the general public.

But Maryann’s most valuable work is as a watchdog for coral reefs.  She presses for and supports legislation to protect coral reef and marine fisheries and reviews and comments on the sustainability of environmentally questionable construction projects in Puerto Rico.  She is committed to improving the quality of Puerto Rico’s coastal waters through zero-discharge advanced wastewater treatment technologies.

 Maryann is one of the worlds foremost grassroots coral reef leaders.  We salute you for your continuing stamina in the face of discouraging odds.  Thanks for all your good work.