Reef Support

Like many people who grew up in Maryland, Sam Wright discovered his love of the water early on. Exploring the Chesapeake Bay sparked a lifelong connection to marine environments and set him on a path toward ocean science, exploration, and restoration. Today, Sam is the Director of Operations at Coral Vita, where he leads the development of operating strategies across the company’s global restoration network. With a background in environmental science, subsea engineering, and marine operations, he blends technical expertise with a hands-on approach to solving challenges in the water and on the farm. Before joining Coral Vita, Sam captained research vessels across the Pacific, managed manned submersible development at DeepFlight, and led expeditions across domains including coral reef ecology, underwater robotics, naval archaeology, and marine pollution tracking. He thrives where teams, tools, and technology meet. At Coral Vita, Sam works closely with department leaders to design operational systems that make scalable reef restoration possible. He also co-leads the development of BrainCoral, the company’s integrated technology platform that connects physical and digital infrastructure to manage workflows, inventory, and coral performance. Sam holds a degree in Environmental Science from Boston University and is a USCG-licensed Master and AAUS Scientific Diver. Outside of work, you’ll likely find him racing sailboats, diving, or building BrainCoral’s next hardware device to help reefs thrive for generations to come.

Tom is a passionate builder dedicated to building technology that amplifies our impact as humans—making us more effective individually and extraordinary when we coordinate as a group. At CoralVita, he leads software development to create tools that enable coordinated global action for coral reef restoration. Throughout his career, Tom has been drawn to building software that transforms how we collaborate and create impact. He has developed platforms that empower people to become more compelling storytellers, and built open-source systems that connect local food producers with their communities to strengthen food systems worldwide. His focus is always on creating custom, powerful tools that help humanity orchestrate efforts to achieve what we could never accomplish alone. Growing up on a farm in rural Iowa instilled in Tom a deep connection to nature, while his lifelong love for the ocean naturally drew him to CoralVita’s mission. When not making taka-taka sounds emanating from his keyboard, you can find him rolling around the farm with his family or dreaming of his next visit to the reef.

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.

Dr. Katelyn Gould brings a wealth of scientific expertise to Coral Vita, having earned her PhD in coral reef ecology from UNC Chapel Hill where she focused on ecological and evolutionary drivers of coral survival using thermal performance curves and physiological responses to improve restoration techniques. Since joining the team, she has been instrumental in standardizing both in-situ and ex-situ approaches using adaptive management 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.

Born and raised near Milan, Italy — far from the sea but close to its spirit — Amir developed a deep love for marine life thanks to his father, a passionate ocean enthusiast. At just 10 years old, he received his first aquarium as a gift, and by age 15, he was already cultivating corals in his bedroom. While studying Natural Sciences at the University of Milan, Amir was invited to manage a coral farm in Bali, Indonesia, where he lived and worked for two years. His journey continued in Australia as a coral collector, maintaining and overseeing coral holding systems across various facilities. Amir has also played a key role in the design and installation of reef tanks in royal palaces across Dubai and has contributed to the development of several public aquariums around the world. He joined Coral Vita with a passion for corals and a mission to help protect our oceans. Since then, he has been a pivotal figure in the design and installation of the Development Nursery and the planning of the Primary Nursery in Saudi Arabia, as well as the automation and scaling of the Life Support System (LSS) in the Bahamas — helping move Coral Vita toward an industrial, automated restoration model. He is also deeply involved in system startup operations, coral husbandry, and LSS training for staff, where he enjoys sharing his knowledge and passing down his passion for coral farming and marine systems. Outside of work, Amir enjoys cooking, kitesurfing, and spearfishing.

Rod brings expertise in electronics and computer engineering to develop embedded automation systems and craft innovative software solutions across diverse applications. With extensive experience in software development, he has specialized in crafting integrated hardware-software systems for controlled environment agriculture, including comprehensive automation for hydroponic farming operations. Currently focused on designing automation systems for coral farming facilities, he engineers scalable technological solutions that optimize production processes while maintaining precise environmental controls. His background spans multiple software projects and embedded systems development, with a particular strength in IoT implementations that bridge hardware capabilities with intelligent software orchestration. His innovative approach to automation challenges has consistently delivered robust, efficient systems that enhance operational performance across specialized aquacultural environments.

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.

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.

Andrew is an experienced data engineer with a background providing data engineering support for various industries, including antitrust litigation, biotech, and aquaculture. He earned a Master’s in Data Science from UC Berkeley. At Coral Vita, he builds computer vision, reporting, and production planning tools to help scale coral restoration projects.

I’m a software developer, passionate about applying technology to make positive real-world impacts. I’m uniquely inspired by the mission of CoralVita and motivated to help deliver the expertise needed to scale by bringing my full dedication to developing these impactful solutions. Right now, I’m working with the automation team in order to create the Synapse, the system that will allow users to control and configure the automation systems to the specific requirements of the environment.