Meet THE TEAM
RESEARCH AND FIELD LEADS
DR. MARILYN BRANDT
Reef Response Director
Research Professor, University of the Virgin Islands
davis strobel
Coral Aquarist
brad arrington
Coral Restoration Specialist
chloé camacho
Education and Outreach Coordinator
samuel gittens jr.
Disease Treatment Specialist
JASON QUETEL
Marine Life Restoration Specialist
Sonora Meiling
Marine Disease Specialist
Moriah sevier
Marine Disease Specialist
Gillian coleman
Coral Reproduction Specialist
avery coble
Acropora Monitoring Program Coordinator
Dr. Larry Dew
Reef Response Faculty
Donor Relations Specialist
Alex Gutting
Kristen Ewen
Alex is one of the cofounders Reef Response (formerly VI Reef Response) while she was a graduate student at UVI. She and Kristen Ewen lead efforts to rebuild the coral nursery at Flat Cay after it was destroyed in the 2017 hurricanes and created Reef Response's citizen science program. Alex is now the Coral Conservation Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy in St. Croix and is working to strengthen collaborations between the two coral restoration programs.
Kristen was one of the cofounders of Reef Response (formerly VI Reef Response) while at the University of the Virgin Islands. She was integral in rebuilding the Flat Cay nursery along following hurricanes Irma and Maria. She along with Alex Gutting developed the citizen science component of Reef Response, focusing on including recreational divers in coral nursery maintenance. Kristen is now a Biological Scientist Technician for the National Parks Service in St. Croix, USVI.
ALUMNI
Adam Glahn
Adam Glahn was a vital team member of Reef Response building our temporary land-based coral nursery system. He helped establish our in-water nursery at Great St. James. Adam currently works as a Biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
Kathryn cobleigh
Kathryn stepped into the Reef Response Coordinator role during the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her efforts helped grow our organization and took Reef Response to new heights. She is currently pursuing a PhD in coral restoration at the University of Technology Sydney.
Rachel ionata
Rachel Ionata brought her expertise in coral spawning and coral husbandry to the Reef Response team. She helped us establish and standardize our husbandry protocols and helped grow our internship program. Rachel also coordinated and initiated several coral restoration projects and experiments. She returned to Nova Southeastern University to dedicate her focus on coral sexual reproduction.
Natasha bestrom
Natasha stepped into the role of Acropora Monitoring Coordinator during an exceptionally turbulent time due to the 2023-2025 global mass bleaching event. Her efforts to monitor and quantify the extent of Elkhorn coral mass mortality and surviving populations will be pivotal to evaluating and achieving our long-term restoration goals. Natasha remains in the USVI, working for The Nature Conservancy in St. Croix, managing restoration efforts on the largest shallow reef in the territory.