Ángela Amalia Corvea Martínez, or as we call her, Angelita Corvea, is a Cuban dynamo who founded the nonprofit conservation organization ACUALINA in Havana, Cuba in 2003. The mission of Acualina is “To transmit environmental education to the population, mainly, to kids, to change people’s attitude and mobilize their minds in favor of the health of the environment so they can face the challenges of the current world. ”
Luiz Rodrigues
Luiz Rodrigues is an incredible person. I first met him when we first started Reef Relief. He lived in Key West and provided one of the most important educational tools Reef Relief has. While a student at Florida Keys Community College, Luiz wrote the Introduction to the Coral Reef Ecosystem, the first document we provided to local educators and others to learn about coral reefs. It is proudly featured in the Educational Resources section of this website. But that was just the beginning.
Luiz moved to South Beach and in 1994 he founded the Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach, a major force in the effort to improve the shoreline and nearshore waters of Miami Beach. He has worked tirelessly and continues to make a HUGE difference for that community.
ECOMB, as it is called, is dedicated to the promotion of environmental sustainability and the preservation of South Florida’s ecology. The mission is achieved by reducing the amount of litter in Miami-Dade County’s beaches, waterways, islands, parks and mangroves; increasing the county’s residential and commercial recycling rates; and promoting the protection of coastal habitats, such as sandy beaches, near shore coral reefs, beach dunes, mangroves, and Biscayne Bay islands and waters. Under Luiz’s leadership, ECOMB works to decrease the community’s carbon footprint through the adoption of “green” lifestyle practices that are more environmentally sustainable. Luiz has personally adopted an ultra green lifestyle and is an inspiration to everyone around him. His natural friendliness, optimism and brilliance has achieved wonders.
By forming strategic partnerships both with local, state, and national non-profits, businesses, schools and government agencies, ECOMB is able to organize various community cleanup projects, conduct environmental seminars, and promote sustainable behaviors, practices and initiatives. Through personal sacrifice, Luiz has enabled the organization to achieve so much.
Luis–you are a true inspiration to anyone who wonders what one person can do!
Ed Tichenor
Ed Tichenor is the Director and driving force of the successful organization Palm Beach County Reef Rescue.
Reef Rescue is a volunteer, nonprofit, grassroots conservation organization dedicated to protecting the coral reef resources of South Florida. Formed by a handful of local scuba divers from south Florida, their ranks have expanded worldwide to include divers and non-divers alike; comprised by all who share a commitment to protect the imperiled coral reef resources for future generations.
We first worked with Ed a few years ago to phase out the City of Delray’s sewer outfall. The videos of the outfall and Reef Rescue’s local, hands-on knowledge of the coral reefs was impressive; Ed and his team continue to do great work today to protect coral reefs. Check out their website and blog:
www.reef–rescue.org/
Dr. Thomas Goreau
In 1990, our friend Dr. Thomas Goreau founded The Global Coral Reef Alliance is a small, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to growing, protecting and managing the most threatened of all marine ecosystems—coral reefs. Tommy is most famous for having voiced alarm over the extent of coral bleaching and warming sea temperatures on coral reefs at least 20 years ago—long before it was fashionable to be aware of climage change. Craig and I first met Tommy in Negril, Jamaica, through Katy Thacker of the Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society. We’ve become great friends and colleagues through many years of work in Jamaica during the 1990’s.
GCRA is a coalition of volunteer scientists, divers, environmentalists and other individuals and organizations, committed to coral reef preservation. He primarily focuses on coral reef restoration, marine diseases and other issues caused by global climate change, environmental stress and pollution. Dr. Goreau employs a method which allows reefs to survive and recover from damage caused by excessive nutrients, climate change, and physical destruction through the BIOROCK system of sending an electrical current through coral nurseries that enhance growth rates.
Michael Blades
Michael Blades was an integral part of the Reef Relief team for many years. Michael began as a volunteer back in the 90’s. After a short stint away from Key West, he returned and joined the team full time as Project Coordinator and then Project Manager. Michael’s easy going personality was perfect for all the community organizing, education and outreach he did. Multi-tasking to participate in special events, organize Continue reading Michael Blades