MEET THE TEAM
RESEARCH AND FIELD LEADS
DR. MARILYN BRANDT
Reef Response Director
Research Associate Professor, University of the Virgin Islands
KATHRYN COBLEIGH
Reef Response Coordinator
DAN MELE
Coral Aquarist Specialist
BRAD ARRINGTON
Coral Restoration Specialist
JASON QUETEL
Marine Life Restoration Specialist
RACHEL IONATA
Coral Aquarist Specialist
SONORA MEILING
Marine Disease Specialist
Nicholas Durgadeen
Coral Restoration Specialist
Dr. Larry Dew
Reef Response Faculty
Donor Relations Specialist
ALUMNI
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.
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.
Previous Interns
Kelsey Vaughn (Graduate Student)
Nicole Krampitz (Graduate Student)
Arelys Chapparo (Graduate Student)
Matt Souza (Graduate Student)
Natasha Bestrom (Graduate Student)
Lindsay Dade (Graduate Student)
Stephanie Hibberts (Graduate Student)
Kaya Carrion (Graduate Student)
Kayla Budd (Graduate Student)
Alanica Canonier (Undergraduate Student)
Chloe Camancho (Undergraduate Student)