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The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™
We're working with you to make a positive impact around the world in more than 35 countries, all 50 United States and your backyard. Support our work
Meet Our Experts
Oceans and Coasts: Stephanie Wear
Stephanie Wear
Director of Coral Reef Conservation
Stephanie Wear, director of coral reef conservation, is a marine scientist who began working with Conservancy in 2001 in the Caribbean Program, where she managed all conservation projects for the US and British Virgin Islands. Stephanie’s work focused on developing a network of marine and terrestrial protected areas and she was instrumental in establishing the USVI’s first territorial marine park. While in the Virgin Islands, she worked with local fishermen, NGOs, government agencies, community leaders, and stakeholder groups to get them involved in solving their local conservation problems.
Read Stephanie Wear's Full Biography
Stephanie in the News
Green & Clean Female Pioneer: Stephanie Wear
Stephanie's hard work to protect the world's coral reefs was applauded by Women's Health.
Doctors Develop Life-Saving Drugs from Coral Reefs
Stephanie shares the wonder-- and life-saving abilities-- of coral reefs with NBC Nightly News correspondent Anne Thompson.
Stephanie Wear Works to Save the Planet for Our Kids
Babble.com names Stephanie a "Mom Who is Changing the World"!
Medicine Under the Sea
Stephanie joins Fox News' Medicine Hunter in a discussion about medical advances from coral reefs & what we can do to protect them.
Human Waste Dumped into Oceans Harms Coral, New Study Reveals
Stephanie chats with Treehugger about a somewhat unexpected threat to marine health.
Exploring the Ocean with Martha Stewart
Watch Stephanie talk to Martha Stewart about how everyone can protect our oceans and coral reefs.
Google Earth Adds the Ocean
Watch Stephanie discuss Google Earth’s Oceans layer and how it will help people better understand our oceans and coasts.
Our Dying Corals and How to Save Them
Stephanie talks with Time magazine about coral bleaching and how to save these threatened ecosystems.
The Underwater Carwash
Stephanie explains how fish take part in a natural underwater cleaning station for the Disney Oceans DVD.
Articles by Stephanie
Coral Reefs: The Living Dead, Or A Comeback Kid?
Don't write corals' obituaries just yet, Stephanie cautions.
Dispatch from the Field: Palau
Stephanie chronicles a recent trip to Palau, where she visited with locals and learned about what makes their reefs so resilient.
Running for Reefs
Stephanie's passion for reefs led her to do something she never thought she'd do-- run a half-marathon.
5 Ways to Connect Your Children to the Oceans
Stephanie writes on how any parent can help their children connect to the ocean, no matter where they live.
Help Oceans Through Your Garden
An avid gardener, Stephanie writes about growing food at home and how a square-foot garden can benefit our oceans.
Help the Ocean by Eating Lionfish
Lionfish are an invasive species throughout the Caribbean, Stephanie writes about why eating them can help the Bahamas.
Publications
Stephanie Wear, director of coral reef conservation, is a marine scientist that began working with Conservancy in 2001 in the Caribbean Program, where she managed all conservation projects for the US and British Virgin Islands. Stephanie’s work focused on developing a network of marine and terrestrial protected areas and she was instrumental in establishing the USVI’s first territorial marine park. While in the Virgin Islands, she worked with local fishermen, NGOs, government agencies, community leaders, and stakeholder groups to get them involved in solving their local conservation problems.
In 2004, Stephanie began working with the Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative to help coral reef managers address the impacts of climate change on critically important coral reef ecosystems. She developed a regional reef resilience training program that she conducted in the Caribbean, Western Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, Western Indian Ocean, and South Asia. Since then, Stephanie has developed a global reef resilience conservation program that includes a network of practitioners from over 70 countries.
She currently heads a 4-year, multi-million dollar coral reef conservation partnership with NOAA. She is focused on strengthening the network of coral reef practitioners and developing innovative ways to build capacity through training and exchange lessons learned among remotely located managers who are working to reduce the impacts of global climate change on tropical marine ecosystems.
Read More
Whether scary or exciting, nature has a way of sneaking up on you. See stories
Hear some of nature's success stories and see how nature matters to us all. Watch videos
Contact
Sandra Rodriguez
Media Contact
Phone: 703-841-4227
E-mail: srodriguez@tnc.org
Connect with Stephanie
Areas of Expertise
- Marine ecology and conservation
- Coral reefs and climate change
- Caribbean Islands
- Green living/parenting
- Adventure travel (with kids, too!)
