Margaret Miller is the Research Director for SECORE International, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to creating and sharing the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide.  She leads SECORE’s research strategy and fosters research collaborations with scientific partners. Margaret serves on the US-Acropora Recovery Implementation Team (ARIT) and as a Councilor-At-Large for the International Coral Reef Society.

Mariko Quinn, also known as Mari, is a passionate marine science enthusiast and a junior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Growing up in Hawaii near Kaneohe Bay, her love for the ocean was deeply influenced by her father, a boat captain, and her upbringing near the water. Witnessing a coral bleaching event in 2015 sparked Mari's interest in marine life and coral reefs. In response, she conducted a science fair project to track the recovery of 24 individual coral colonies in her local reef, discovering the impact of environmental stressors and the resilience of some coral colonies.

Otto Rutten is the Associate Operations Director at the Aquarius Reef Base underwater laboratory in Key Largo, Florida. Born and raised in Key Largo, Rutten developed a passion for marine biology from a young age, inspired by watching Jacques Cousteau on television. Despite his early fascination with marine science, Rutten pursued engineering at North Carolina State University and later worked for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries while completing a master’s program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW).

Ryan Okano works for the Division of Aquatic Resources for the State of Hawaii.  

Professor Chirayath grew up in Southern California with a passion for NASA's mission and space exploration. In 2003, a sophomore in high school, he modified a consumer digital camera and telescope to successfully detect an extra-solar planet, 150 light years away, roughly twice the size of Jupiter. Since then, his research interests have relied on the intersection of multiple disciplines, including aeronautics, astrophysics, earth sciences, engineering, and optics.  

Walter Japp, born on December 28, 1940, in Duluth, MN, spent most of his life in Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a veteran of the US Army. Walter graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in marine biology. For 35 years, he worked as a coral reef ecologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. After retirement, Walter co-founded Lithophyte Research, focusing on evaluating and replacing damaged coral reefs.

"[Capt.]Will Benson grew up on the waters of the Florida Keys. With a push pole in one hand and a camera in the other, Will has guided his clients and his audience to amazing memories on the flats and on film. His lifelong passion for the ocean is the heart and soul of WorldANGLING. As a professional guide he knows what it takes to create unforgettable experiences on the water and brings an immense dedication to the guide profession.