Ideas for Sea Change: Citizen Science & Reef Restoration

Citizen science is democratizing access for making contributions to science, making it more interdisciplinary and inclusive. Join us to learn more about citizen science from Dr. Keene Haywood, as well as how Rescue A Reef applies it to rebuilding coral reefs from program manager Dalton Hesley.

About our panel:

Dr. Keene Haywood

MPS Exploration Science Track Coordinator, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

Geographer, filmmaker, and educator Keene Haywood helps direct the graduate program in Exploration Science at the University of Miami. A former National Geographic staff member, Keene’s accomplishments include documentary film production for the Geographic and the original presentation of National Geographic photographs and expeditions on Google Earth. He also worked as a project director for The Nature Conservancy in the largest preserve in Texas, where he oversaw scientific research and outreach activities in the Davis Mountains, a southern extension of the Rocky Mountains.

Dalton Hesley

Manager, Rescue a Reef

Senior Research Associate II, Dr. Diego Lirman's Benthic Ecology and Coral Reef Restoration Lab at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

Dalton works as a Senior Research Associate II in Dr. Diego Lirman's Benthic Ecology and Coral Reef Restoration Lab at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School (UM RSMAS). His main areas of interest and focus are coral reef conservation, ecosystem management, environmental education, and citizen science. In addition to being a lab associate, he manages Rescue a Reef, the lab’s coral conservation program designed to support coral reef research and restoration through education, outreach, and citizen science. Dalton's mission is to continue learning about, and understanding, the complex relationships between individuals and their environment(s).

Dalton is a UM RSMAS alum, graduating with a Master of Professional Science degree in Marine Biology and Ecology (2015) where his thesis centered around coral conservation, citizen science, and Rescue a Reef (Hesley et al. 2017). Before that, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (2013) from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a focus on animal behavior. As a Minnesota native, he grew up with a love for the outdoors and a passion for its’ preservation, and looks forward to passing along this passion to future generations.

Daniel Kleinman

Founder & CEO, Seaworthy Collective

Daniel Kleinman is Seaworthy Collective's Founder and CEO. Daniel received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, focusing on ocean technology while following a passion for exploring and understanding the oceans. As an undergraduate, Daniel interned with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and became a University Innovation Fellow. After graduating in 2015, Daniel spent two years as a Pilot & Test Engineer for Bluefin Robotics' Bluefin-21 unmanned underwater vehicles in Boston. Daniel spent the following three years in San Diego as a Contractor for the Navy contributing to mechanical engineering R & D for maritime systems. Daniel recently started his Masters studies in Exploration Science at The University of Miami RSMAS. Daniel created Seaworthy Collective in early 2020, channeling his passion, network, and wealth of industry knowledge to help empower a community of current and aspiring ocean innovators and entrepreneurs.