REEF CHECK FOUNDATION
Saving Reefs Worldwide
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Reefs are critical to our survival, yet are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Reef Check was started in 1996 to help answer the question: “What is the health of the world’s reefs?” Since then, Reef Check’s network has expanded throughout all tropical seas with the objective to preserve and sustain reef ecosystems, while also launching a temperate reef program in 2005 to do the same for California’s kelp forests. In 2016, this program expanded into climate change monitoring to look at its effects on our ocean’s ecosystems.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
EcoDiver Program
Every year, Reef Check trains thousands of citizen scientist divers who volunteer to survey the health of coral reefs around the world, and rocky reef ecosystems along the entire coast of California. The results are used to improve the management of these critically important natural resources. Reef Check programs provide ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions to save reefs, by creating partnerships among community volunteers, government agencies, businesses, universities and other nonprofits.
Where we work
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of surveys per year for our kelp forest monitoring program
Number of individuals applying skills learned through the organization's training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
EcoDiver Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of divers certified in our tropical EcoDiver program
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Reef Check’s vision is one of thriving reefs, cared for by communities sustained for generations to come. We want to realize this vision by leading citizen scientists to promote stewardship of sustainable reef communities worldwide.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Reef Check performs three vital tasks necessary to promote stewardship of sustainable reef communities worldwide:
We train and organize teams of local volunteer citizen scientist divers. They collect data on reef health and assess climate change impacts on their reefs. Their work produces reliable information used by marine resource managers, scientists, and policymakers to make science-based ocean management and conservation decisions.
We promote public education about reefs and the ocean. Our goal is to develop a team of ocean ambassadors with the skills and knowledge to make a tangible difference in marine conservation in their local communities. Our immersive youth education programs train participants to understand the threats marine ecosystems face and give them the tools to become ocean stewards.
We develop ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions for reef conservation and restoration.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Reef Check has offices in Los Angeles and Santa Cruz, California as well as chapters and volunteer teams in more than 40 countries and territories around the world. Every year, thousands of trained citizen scientist volunteers participate in Reef Check surveys and programs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since the first survey conducted in 1997, Reef Check's global database contains 14,568 coral reef health surveys from 102 countries and territories. 7,076 divers have been trained to monitor coral reef health. In 1997, Reef Check conducted the first-ever global survey of coral reef health that provided scientific evidence that our coral reefs were in crisis due to overfishing, illegal fishing, and pollution. The results shocked many marine biologists who had not realized the extent of human impacts on reefs. In 2002, Reef Check released its report, The Global Coral Reef Crisis – Trends and Solutions, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Based on data collected by thousands of Reef Check volunteer divers in over 80 countries and territories, the report was the first scientific documentation of the dramatic worldwide decline in coral reef health over a five-year period. The report concluded that there was virtually no reef in the world that remained untouched by human impacts. Most recently, Reef Check data showed promising news that some corals are becoming more resistant to global warming than they were a decade ago. Going forward, we aim to expand our monitoring program in both existing and new locations, while also continuing to provide data critical to the conservation of coral reefs.
Reef Check’s kelp forest monitoring includes over 1,200 surveys from 120 sites throughout California. 1,754 divers have been trained to monitor California kelp forests. We monitor kelp forests inside and outside of California’s marine protected areas (MPAs), and our data is used to manage California’s network of 124 MPAs. Our climate change project tracks ocean temperature at 75 of our monitoring sites, and at six of them, we are investigating changes such as ocean acidification and hypoxia. Through our kelp forest restoration program, we seek to establish restoration sites in central and northern California. These sites will serve as refuges and seed banks for surrounding areas in hopes that kelp can reestablish where it has been lost from 100’s of miles of coast. In addition to the ecological benefits of this project, it will also provide a substantial economic benefit to the fishing community of Fort Bragg, which has been hard hit by the effective loss of its two most important fisheries. We also expect to extend our kelp forest monitoring and restoration work northward into Oregon.
Educational Marine Biological Adventures with Reef Check – EMBARC – is our interactive marine education program that gives underserved middle and high school students a chance to become marine biologists for the day and experience the ocean environment first hand. So far, 1,300 students from 32 Los Angeles-area schools have gone through the program. Through this program, we hope to open the students’ eyes to the wonders of the ocean world, and our ultimate goal is to create a new generation of young ocean ambassadors, who will start making
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
REEF CHECK FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 02/02/2024
Linden Wolbert
Russ Lesser
Helen Brierley
Chris Glaeser
Evan Birenbaum
Matthew Bullock
Sue Chen
Scott Gietler
Mark Martin
Robert McClatchy
Sari Kern
Robert Kugel
Art Levitt
Julie Rubash
William McIlvene
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
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