SECORE Foundation

About us

SECORE International is a leading conservation organization for the restoration and protection of coral reefs.

SECORE applies a multidisciplinary strategy combining research, active reef restoration, education, and outreach for the conservation of coral reefs. We have established a global network of scientists, public aquarium professionals and local authorities, partners and stakeholders.

Together with our partners we carry out restoration research, develop and implement innovative strategies and techniques to allow future reef restoration at much larger scales than currently possible. Through the Global Coral Restoration Project we aim at restoring reef ecosystem functioning and services around the world.

SECORE International is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The corporation is based in Ohio (USA).

Annual Report 2017

For media inquiries please contact:

Dr. Carin Jantzen, c.jantzen@secore.org & Sina Löschke, s.loeschke@secore.org

Current job openings

We are looking for a Project Engineer. (job description )

Staff

Dr. Dirk Petersen, Founder and Executive Director

Kara Rising, MACC, Administrative Manager

Aric Bickel, M.A., Operations Manager

Dr. Margaret Miller, Research Director

Dr. Brett Scott, Director of Development

Dr. Valérie Chamberland, Research Scientist Curacao

Dr. John Parkinson, Research Scientist Miami

Kelly Latijnhouwers, M.Sc., Restoration Technician Curacao

Sandra Mendoza Quiroz, M.Sc., Restoration Technician Mexico

Dr. Carin Jantzen, PR Officer

Sina Löschke, M.Sc., Associate PR Officer

Board of Directors

Dr. Richard Shank – chairman – The Shank Family Foundation, USA

Mike Brittsan, M.Sc. – vice-chairman – USA

Bart Shepherd, M.Sc.– secretary – Steinhart Aquarium, Cal. Academy of Sciences, USA

Laura Byrne, Esq. – treasurer – Byrne and Byrne, USA

Michelle Galligan – chair Governance Committee – ViaVero, USA

Clyde Woodburn – Clyde and Connie Woodburn Foundation, USA

Suzanne Green – The Green Foundation, USA

Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Margaret Miller, SECORE International, Chair

Dr. Anastazia Banaszak – National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico

Dr. Alasdair Edwards – Newcastle University, UK

Dr. Iliana Baums – Penn State University, USA

Dr. James Guest – Newcastle University, UK

Dr. Laurie Raymundo – University of Guam, USA

Dr. Mark Vermeij – CARMABI Foundation / University of Amsterdam, Curacao

Dr. Rebecca Albright - California Academy of Sciences, USA

Prof. Peter Harrison - Director, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, Australia

Zoo and Aquarium Advisory Board

Aric Bickel, SECORE International, Chair

Richard Ross – Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, USA

Mark Schick – Shedd Aquarium, USA

Mitch Carl – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, USA

Media and Communications

Paul Selvaggio – photography, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

Vanessa Cara-Kerr - videography and production, Reef Patrol

Nele Schütz - graphic design, Nele Schütz Design

Mike McCue - videography, Underwater World Guam

Claartje Visser – consulting, CLAARTJEVISSER.NL

Legal advice

Peter A. Precario – Attorney at Law, Columbus, USA

Dr. Alexander Bulach – Attorney at Law, Munich, Germany

Lead partners

References

In the media

Collapsing coral reefs — can we rebuild them?
2019/01 - Interview with Research Director Margaret Miller on Radio CBC - Quirks & Quarks

How to raise baby corals?
2018/9 - Video portrait of SECORE Research Scientist Valérie Chamberland, produced by Exposure Labs

On the Attack Against Climate Change
2018/9 - New York Times: Article with a short feature about SECORE's and TNC's work in the Caribbean

Spawning an Intervention
2018/9 - BioGraphic's multimedia story about our coral restoration work on Curaçao

Could additive manufacturing fix coral reefs?
2018/8 - News article about SECORE's 3D printed settlement tiles

In Vitro Fertilization Could Be the Key to Coral Reef Conservation
2018/6 - Feature about SECORE's new substrate designs in the Redshift Magazine, published by the Autodesk Foundation

Scientists Are Breeding Super Coral That Can Survive Climate Change: VICE on HBO, Full Episode
2018/3 - Vice News documentary, featuring SECORE's work on Curaçao

Successful Coral Sowing Reef Regeneration Trial in Curaçao
2018/1 - DIVE magazine (UK): Feature about SECORE's work in Curaçao,

As Corals Wither Around The World, Scientists Try IVF
2017 - National Public Radio: Feature about SECORE's coral restoration work in Guam

New hope for endangered corals: Scientists take an important step towards sustainable restoration of Caribbean reefs
2016 - ScienceDaily: Laboratory-bred corals reproduce in the wild

Coral Restoration Research Findings Bring Positive News for the Future of Coral Reefs
2016 - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - voices: Mark Schick on the involvement of Shedd Aquarium with SECORE

Review on coral reef restoration
2016 - Advanced Aquarist, the noble work of coral reef restoration

'A Coral Love Story' by Vanessa Cara-Kerr, reefpatrol.com
2015 - Advanced Aquarist: Short animated film to explain the unique coral restoration work of SECORE

Can we restore the world’s coral reefs?
2013 - BBC News - Dr. Dirk Petersen shares some insights about SECORE's conservation work in an interview with the BBC.

Helping Threatened Corals Thrive: A Love Story
2012 - NOAA news: NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region Protected Resources Division is working with SECORE

Restoring Endangered Coral in the Caribbean
2012 - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - voices: Mark Schick, Shedd Aquarium, shares a trip report from a coral spawning field workshop

Scientific publications

Jay Fisch, Crawford Drury, Erica K. Towle, Rivah N. Winter, Margaret W. Miller (2019): Physiological and reproductive repercussions of consecutive summer bleaching events of the threatened Caribbean coral Orbicella faveolata, Coral Reef, doi.org/10.1007/s00338-019-01817-5
2019/3 - Physiological and reproductive repercussions of consecutive summer bleaching events of the threatened Caribbean coral O

Kelly E. Speare, Alain Duran, Margaret W. Miller, Deron E. Burkepile: Sediment associated with algal turfs inhibit the settlement of two endangered coral species, Marine Pollution Bulletin 144 (2019) 189–195, doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.066
2019/2 - Sediment associated with algal turfs inhibit the settlement of two endangered coral species

Margaret W. Miller, Philip J. Colburn, Emma Pontes, Dana E. Williams, Allan J. Bright, Xaymara M. Serrano, Esther C. Peters (2019). Genotypic variation in disease susceptibility among cultured stocks of elkhorn and staghorn corals. PeerJ, doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6751
2019/1 - Genotypic variation in disease susceptibility among cultured stocks of elkhorn and staghorn corals

Aaron A. Hartmann, Kristen L. Marhaver, Anke Klueter, Michael T. Lovci, Collin J. Closek, Erika Diaz, Valérie F. Chamberland, Frederick I. Archer, Dimitri D. Deheyn, Mark J.A. Vermeij, Monica Medina (2018): Acquisition of obligate mutualist symbionts during the larval stage is not beneficial for a coral host, Molecular Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/mec.149
2018/4 - Acquisition of obligate mutualist symbionts during the larval stage is not beneficial for a coral host

Mary Hagedorn, Christopher A. Page, Keri ONeill, Daisy M. Flores, Lucas Tichy, Valerie F. Chamberland, Claire Lager, Nikolas Zuchowicz, Kathryn Lohr, Harvey Blackburn, Tali Vardi, Jennifer Moore, Tom Moore, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Kristen L. Marhaver (2018), bioRxiv, DOI: 10.1101/492447
2018/3 - Successful demonstration of assisted gene flow in the threatened coral Acropora palmata across genetically-isolated Car

Rachel E. Pausch, Dana E. Williams, Margaret W. Miller (2018): Impacts of fragment genotype, habitat, and size on outplanted elkhorn coral success under thermal stress, MEPS 592:109-117 (2018) - DOI: 10.3354/meps12488
2018/2 - Impacts of fragment genotype, habitat, and size on outplanted elkhorn coral success under thermal stress

Mark C. Ladd, Margaret W. Miller, John H. Hunt, William C. Sharp Deron E. Burkepile (2018): Harnessing ecological processes to facilitate coral restoration, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, DOI: 10.1002/fee.1792
2018/1 - Coral reef restoration can build on lessons learned from restoring other ecosystems to develop creative methods for har

Valérie F Chamberland, Dirk Petersen, James R Guest, Udo Petersen, Mike Brittsan, Mark JA Vermeij: New Seeding Approach Reduces Costs and Time to Outplant Sexually Propagated Corals for Reef Restoration. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17555-z
2017 - New Seeding Approach Reduces Costs and Time to Outplant Sexually Propagated Corals for Reef Restoration (open access)

M. W. Miller, I. B. Baums, R. E. Pausch, A. J. Bright, C. M. Cameron, D. E. Williams, Z. J. Moffitt, C. M. Woodley: Clonal structure and variable fertilization success in Florida Keys broadcast-spawning corals, Coral Reefs (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-017-1651-0 , first online: 08 December 2017;
2017 - Clonal structure and variable fertilization success in Florida Keys broadcast-spawning corals

Chamberland VF, Petersen D, Latijnhouwers KRW, Snowden S, Mueller B, Vermeij MJA. 2016. Four-year-old Caribbean Acropora colonies reared from field-collected gametes are sexually mature. Bulletin of Marine Science DOI: 10.5343/bms.2015.1074
2016 - Four-year-old Caribbean Acropora colonies reared from field-collected gametes are sexually mature (pdf file)

Chamberland VF, Vermeij MJA, Brittsan M, Carl M, Schick M, Snowden S, Schrier A, Petersen D. 2015. Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes. Global Ecology and Conservation 4:526–537, DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.10.005
2015 - Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) (pdf file)

J. R. Guest , M. V. Baria, E. D. Gomez, A. J. Heyward, A. J. Edwards (2014) losing the circle: is it feasible to rehabilitate reefs with sexually propagated corals? Coral Reefs 33(1):45-55.
2014 - Closing the circle: is it feasible to rehabilitate reefs with sexually propagated corals?

Polato NR, Altman NS, and Baums IB (2013) Variation in the transcriptional response of threatened coral larvae to elevated temperatures. Molecular Ecology, 22: 1366–1382.
2013 - Variation in the transcriptional response of threatened coral larvae to elevated temperatures

Marhaver KL, Vermeij MJA, Rohwer F, and Sandin SA (2013) Janzen-Connell effects in a broadcast-spawning Caribbean coral: distance-dependent survival of larvae and settlers. Ecology, 94: 146–160.
2013 - Janzen-Connell effects in a broadcast-spawning Caribbean coral: distance-dependent survival of larvae and settlers

Baria MVB, Dela Cruz DW, Villanueva RD, and Guest JR (2012) Spawning of Three-Year-Old Acropora Millepora Corals Reared from Larvae in Northwestern Philippines. Bull Mar Sci 88(1):61-62.
2012 - Spawning of Three-Year-Old Acropora Millepora Corals Reared from Larvae in Northwestern Philippines

Hagedorn M, Carter V, Paresa K, Acker J, Baums IB, Borneman E, Brittsan M, Byers M, Henley M, Laterveer M, Leong JA, McCarthy M, Meyers S, Nelson BD, Petersen D, Tiersch T, Uribe RC, Woods E, and Wildt D (2012) Preserving and Using Germplasm and Dissociated Embryonic Cells for Conserving Caribbean and Pacific Coral. PLOS ONE 7(3): e33354.
2012 - Preserving and Using Germplasm and Dissociated Embryonic Cells for Conserving Caribbean and Pacific Coral

Villanueva RD, Baria MVB, and Dela Cruz DW (2012) Growth and survivorship of juvenile corals outplanted to degraded reef areas in Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex, Philippines. Marine Biology Research 8(9):877-884.
2012 - Growth and survivorship of juvenile corals outplanted to degraded reef areas in Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex, Philippines

Guest JR, Baird AH, Maynard JA, Muttaqin E, Edwards AJ, et al. (2012) Contrasting Patterns of Coral Bleaching Susceptibility in 2010 Suggest an Adaptive Response to Thermal Stress. PLoS ONE 7(3).
2012 - Contrasting Patterns of Coral Bleaching Susceptibility in 2010 Suggest an Adaptive Response to Thermal Stress

Vermeij MJA, Bakker J, Van der Hal N, and Bak RPM (2011) Juvenile Coral Abundance Has Decreased by More Than 50% in Only Three Decades on a Small Caribbean Island. Diversity, 3: 296-307.
2011 - Juvenile Coral Abundance Has Decreased by More Than 50% in Only Three Decades on a Small Caribbean Island

Guest JR, Dizon RM, Edwards AJ, Franco C, and Gomez ED (2011) How Quickly do Fragments of Coral “Self-Attach” after Transplantation? Restoration Ecology, 19: 234–242.
2011 - How Quickly do Fragments of Coral “Self-Attach” after Transplantation?

Vermeij MJA, Van Moorselaar I, Engelhard S, Hörnlein C, Vonk SM, et al. (2010) The Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Herbivore Abundance on the Ability of Turf Algae to Overgrow Coral in the Caribbean. PLoS ONE 5(12): e14312.
2010 - The Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Herbivore Abundance on the Ability of Turf Algae to Overgrow Coral in the Caribbea

Edwards AJ (ed.) (2010) Reef Rehabilitation Manual. Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program. The Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity. Building for Management Program, St Lucia, Australia. pp. 166
2010 - Reef Rehabilitation Manual. Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program.

Villanueva RD, Edwards AJ, and Bell JD (2010) Enhancement of Grazing Gastropod Populations as a Coral Reef Restoration Tool: Predation Effects and Related Applied Implications. Restoration Ecology, 18: 803–809.
2010 - Enhancement of Grazing Gastropod Populations as a Coral Reef Restoration Tool: Predation Effects and Related Applied Impl

Vermeij MJA, Marhaver KL, Huijbers CM, Nagelkerken I, and SimpsonSD (2010) Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds. PLoS ONE 5(5): e10660.
2010 - Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds

Hagedorn M, Carter VL, Hollingworth L, Leong JC, Kanno R, Borneman EH, Petersen D, Laterveer M, Brittsan M, Schick M (2009) Ex Situ Culture of Caribbean and Pacific Coral Larvae comparing various Flow-through Chambers. Proceedings of the Smithsonian Marine Science Symposium 2007 (eds. Lang MA, Macintyre IG,Rützler K). Smithsonian Institution Schola
2009 - Ex Situ Culture of Caribbean and Pacific Coral Larvae comparing various Flow-through Chambers

Petersen D, Carl M, Borneman E, Brittsan M, Hagedorn M, Laterveer M, and Schick M (2008) Noah's Ark for the threatened Elkhorn coral Acropora palmata. Coral Reefs 27(3):715.
2008 - Noah's Ark for the threatened Elkhorn coral Acropora palmata

Petersen D, Wietheger A, and Laterveer M (2008) Influence of different food sources on the initial development of sexual recruits of reefbuilding corals in aquaculture. Aquaculture 277(3-4):174-178.
2008 - Influence of different food sources on the initial development of sexual recruits of reefbuilding corals in aquaculture

Baums IB (2008) A restoration genetics guide for coral reef conservation. Molecular Ecology 17(12):2796–2811.
2008 - A restoration genetics guide for coral reef conservation

Petersen D, Falcato J, Gilles P, and Jones R (2007) Sexual coral reproduction in live coral exhibits – current status and future perspectives. International Zoo Yearbook 41:122-137.
2007 - Sexual coral reproduction in live coral exhibits – current status and future perspectives

Pennisi E (2007) Reefs in trouble - spawning for a better life. Science 318(5857):1712-1717.
2007 - Reefs in trouble - spawning for a better life

Petersen D, Laterveer M, Van Bergen D, Hatta M, Hebbinghaus R, Janse M, Jones R, Richter U, Ziegler T, Visser G, and Schuhmacher H (2006) The application of sexual coral recruits for sustainable management of ex situ populations in public aquariums - SECORE-Project. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 16(2):167-179.
2006 - The application of sexual coral recruits for sustainable management in public aquariums - SECORE-Project

Villanueva RD, Yap HT, Montaño MNE (2005) Survivorship of coral juveniles in a fish farm environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 51(1–7):580-589.
2005 - Survivorship of coral juveniles in a fish farm environment

Petersen D, Laterveer M, and Schuhmacher H (2005) Spatial and temporal variation in larval settlement of reefbuilding corals in mariculture. Aquaculture 249(1-4):317-327.
2005 - Spatial and temporal variation in larval settlement of reefbuilding corals in mariculture

Petersen D, Schuhmacher H (2005) Korallen-Nachzucht im Aquarium: Chancen für den Arten- und Biotopschutz. Biologie unserer Zeit 3: 200-206.
2005 - Korallen-Nachzucht im Aquarium: Chancen für den Arten- und Biotopschutz

Petersen D, Laterveer M, and Schuhmacher H (2005) Innovative substrate tiles to spatially control larvae settlement in coral culture. Marine Biology 146(5): 937 – 942.
2005 - Innovative substrate tiles to spatially control larvae settlement in coral culture

Petersen D, Hatta M, Laterveer M, and Van Bergen D (2005) Ex situ transportation of coral larvae for research, conservation and aquaculture. Coral Reefs 24(3):510-513.
2005 - Ex situ transportation of coral larvae for research, conservation and aquaculture

Hatta M (2005) An affair in the morning after mass spawning. Coral Reefs 24: 102.
2005 - An affair in the morning after mass spawning

Petersen D, Laterveer M, Van Bergen D, and Kuenen M (2004) Transportation techniques for massive scleractinian corals. Zoo Biology 23(2): 165-176.
2004 - Transportation techniques for massive scleractinian corals

Save our future - protect coral reefs

Mail to info@secore.org or fill out the form

SECORE International, Inc.
4673 Northwest Parkway Hilliard
Ohio, 43026
USA
phone: +1 - 614 - 969 - 3150

giving coral reefs a future

worldwide coral reef conservation through research, education, outreach, and restoration