Reef Support

Always fascinated by the ways that humans alter our environment, and by how the environment in turn shapes our societies, Gator is a curious scientist at heart with a drive to help change the world around him for the better. Prior to founding Coral Vita, Gator was an academic researcher studying land-use change in Peru, Brazil, and South Africa. He is a graduate of Pomona College, has a master’s degree from the Yale School of the Environment, and has been named a United Nations Young Champion of the Earth and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur. When not at work you can find him snorkeling on the reef, watching Liverpool Football Club, or trying to make his son Arlo giggle as much as possible.

From flipping over logs to find bugs in his parents’ backyard to becoming a scuba diver as soon as he was old enough, Sam has been in love with nature his whole life. He’s always been drawn to solving problems, from creating college prep programs for his DC public school football teammates to creating cross-border Middle East dialogues around action-oriented conservation. He previously worked on climate resiliency initiatives at the White House and Global Island Partnership, co-authored Sustainable Development Goal 14, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur and Coral Restoration Consortium Advisory Board member, and still somehow manages to get stuck into scrums on the rugby pitch.

Dr. Katelyn Gould brings a wealth of scientific expertise to Coral Vita, having earned her PhD in coral ecology from UNC Chapel Hill where she focused on thermal performance curves and physiological responses that drive coral survival for restoration. Since joining the team, she has been instrumental in standardizing both in-situ and ex-situ approaches using science-driven adaptive management processes to guide decision-making for coral farming and restoration programs. She has also launched Coral Vita’s groundbreaking thermal resiliency and assisted evolution program at the Freeport flagship farm to increase genetic diversity in restored coral reefs.

With over two decades of experience in marine biology, aquaculture, and marine husbandry, Joe has been instrumental in advancing Coral Vita’s mission to restore degraded reefs and enhance their resilience against climate change. A native of North Carolina, he earned his B.S. in Marine Biology from UNC Wilmington and has held senior roles across international marine institutions, including Head of Marine Operations at Underwater World Guam and Marine Park Ranger at the Saba Conservation Foundation, where he managed one of the Caribbean’s largest marine protected areas. Beyond his technical expertise, Joe is passionate about community engagement in environmental stewardship, empowering coastal communities through education and collaboration.

With years of experience in the advertising and post-production world, Emma brings a sharp creative lens to Coral Vita—helping scale our impact through compelling storytelling, strategic brand development, and a deep understanding of audience engagement. Whether it’s crafting narratives that resonate or shaping the way our mission shows up in the world, she’s passionate about using storytelling as a tool for global change. Outside of work, Emma is an avid yogi and can usually be found with a cup of tea in hand.

Jennifer has spent over two decades leading coral conservation efforts, most notably at NOAA, where she helped list the first-ever corals under the Endangered Species Act and authored the Elkhorn and Staghorn Coral Recovery Plan. Most recently, she served as the Senior Manager for Mission: Iconic Reefs at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Department of Commerce Gold Medal.

Chance leads infrastructure design, systems integration, and technical project delivery across Coral Vita’s global sites, bringing a strong mechanical engineering background and extensive experience in sustainable agriculture systems. He is responsible for developing scalable solutions for land-based coral farming, ensuring that each facility operates with maximum efficiency and environmental impact. His innovative approach to engineering challenges has been crucial in scaling Coral Vita’s operations while maintaining the highest standards for coral health and production outcomes.