Coral reefs are living complex systems that adapt over time, while preserving key processes. Emergent Reefs was founded to provide the essential support for reef ecosystems that allows natural processes to emerge.
Collaboration is key.
The Emergent Reefs Foundation was founded by Shanee Stopnitzky, a coral reef ecologist trained in complex systems science. By studying the fundamental principles and processes that give rise to coral reef structure and function, she developed a unique lens for simplifying complex systems and seeing the creative and adaptive potential of reefs through time. She has worked in applied marine science in private, academic, government, and NGO sectors for more than 20 years, planning and executing projects in scientific research, environmental impact assessment, marine impact mitigation, marine engineering and technology, and citizen science.
Emergent Reefs is a team of scientists, technologists, and marine engineers who are advancing the most cutting-edge tools for ecological coral reef restoration through funding, planning, science, implementation, and scaling.
After observing many reef restoration activities that do not support local ecology or apply a one-size-fits-all approach, we realized more tools were needed to ensure healthy, resilient coral reef ecosystems. Our interventions give reef ecosystems a boost that encourages the whole ecosystem to reconfigure into a stable state.
The objectives of our work are:
Ecosystem-level scale of interest and impact, using success metrics that are defined by ecosystem function and dynamics through time
Scientifically rigorous and peer-reviewed de-risking of new ecological restoration tools
Simplifying the complexity of ecological impact assessments to facilitate broader use
Open source data and technology that is transparent and accessible
Scaling through collaboration and knowledge sharing
Only working where we have been enthusiastically invited by the local community
We are currently looking for restoration partners, scientific collaborators, and visionary funders interested in advancing ecological coral reef restoration. Please get in touch to join our efforts!
Scientific Advisory Board
All of our plans, methods, data, results, and publications are peer-reviewed by a scientific team to ensure that the highest standards of rigor, ethics, and sense-making are applied to our activities. Each advisor represents a different area of expertise within coral reef ecology, and we solicit feedback quarterly for each project in order to calibrate our plans against expectations. Each advisor is empowered to halt a project if it is not meeting standards of scientific integrity.
Our Advisors
Dr. Emma Camp, Future Reefs Lab, University of Technology Sydney
Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby, Corals4Conservation, Fiji
Dr. John Burns, MEGA Lab, University of Hawaii
Dr. Stephan Munch, NOAA/University of California, Santa Cruz
