Nestled in the vibrant waters of the Caribbean lies a hidden gem of biodiversity and ecological health — the coral reef of Tela, Honduras.
In an era where the majority of coral reefs are experiencing degradation and decline, Tela’s reefs are a rare example of resilience and hope.
Tela Coral News
Beneath the Surface
“And so this film is really about… resilience against all odds.”
After our world premiere of The Rebel Reef: Seeds of Hope in Oakland, Sivani and Sabine — the founders of Hidden Compass @hiddencompassmedia — hosted us in a filmmaker panel to share more about the science, stories and inspirations of the rebel reef. Director Brynne Rardin @brynnerardin summarized perfectly why this film hits home: each of the core team has ✨ lived this story personally ✨. The ocean has saved Brynne, Executive Producer Tiff Duong @tiffmakeswaves, and Christian Carias @scubachris17 each in different, profound ways. In its healing waters, they’ve each found their own stories of resilience and healing. Together, in making this film, we’ve discovered how universal this theme is: we are all far more resilient than we imagine ourselves to be.
As this story continues to ripple outward, may this lesson from #TheRebelReef remind us to stay resilient, to stay hopeful, and to keep learning both from the ocean and from one another.
Thank you to our local partners and sponsors, especially Tela Marine @tela_marine, Caribbean Reef Guardians @caribbeanreefguardians , Stanley 1913 @stanley_brand, Hidden Compass @hiddencompassmedia, and Ocean Culture Life @oceanculturelife, who helped make all of this possible.
A film would be nothing without a main character, and we think ours is tops! 🇭🇳🌊
Let’s learn a little more about Christian “Aquaman” Carias!
After a life-altering diving accident, Christian @scubachris17 faced the possibility of never returning to the water. But it was more than just the injuries that he had to face, it was the fear of losing a core part of who he was. The journey back wasn’t easy: it took time, patience, and courage he didn’t know he had. And, what carried him forward was Tela’s reef — a reef that continues to grow and endure in conditions where most would fail.
Spending time with the water changed how Christian understood resilience, not as something loud or dramatic, but as something quiet, steady, and deeply honest.
This film doesn’t pretend that healing or conservation is simple. It shows how both people and nature keep moving forward, even when things are hard. Christian’s journey mirrors the reef itself: strong, persistent, and shaped by survival.
This is the heart of The Rebel Reef: Seeds of Hope @rebelreeffilm and why this story will continue to matter long after the lights have faded.
Read Christian’s full statement here ▶️ https://telacoral.org/main-characters-statement-the-rebel-reef/
Thank you to our local partners and sponsors, especially Tela Marine @tela_marine, Caribbean Reef Guardians @caribbeanreefguardians, Stanley 1913 @stanley_brand, Hidden Compass @hiddencompassmedia, and Ocean Culture Life @oceanculturelife, who helped make all of this possible.
We’re still emotional from the world premiere of our short documentary, The Rebel Reef: Seeds of Hope, which premiered in Oakland at the beginning of December. Our director, Brynne Rardin, shares how it all began and what making this film has meant to her.
It started as a conversation between Brynne, Executive Producer Tiffany Duong @tiffmakeswaves, and Christian Carias @scubachris17 in Tela. They quickly realized that the ocean had saved each of them in different ways. From that moment, a collective calling emerged: to connect more people to the ocean in ways that compel them to protect it — through Tela’s story, through it’s magnificent corals 🪸
For Brynne, this film is about hope that endures against all odds. About faith in the unknown. And about telling an environmental story differently; through character, emotion, and a more cinematic, artistic lens. By experiencing the Rebel Reef through Christian’s (the film’s main character) eyes, we’re invited into a deeper story of identity, resilience, and transformation. One that mirrors the fight to protect a reef few people even know exists.
“The Rebel Reef” @rebelreeffilm is about stewardship, heritage, and our shared future, and Brynne hopes this film sparks a collective awakening, not only to the urgency of ecological protection, but to our deeper connection with the Earth and one another.
Read Brynne’s full statement here ▶️ https://telacoral.org/directors-statement-the-rebel-reef-seeds-of-hope/
Thank you to our local partners and sponsors, especially Tela Marine @tela_marine, Caribbean Reef Guardians @caribbeanreefguardians , Stanley 1913 @stanley_brand, Hidden Compass @hiddencompassmedia, and Ocean Culture Life @oceanculturelife, who helped make all of this possible.
🌊 We’re breaking new ground... literally and figuratively! 🌊
Construction has officially begun on our new virtual reality (VR) center at Tela Marine (@tela_marine)!! This project, powered by a foundational grant from the Stanley Creators Fund (@stanley_brand), will help us bring the magic of Tela’s reefs far beyond the Bay.
Why VR? Because we believe that to protect the reef, people must first have the chance to fall in love with it. For a child, an elder, or anyone for whom the ocean is out of reach, this center will be their submarine, their dive gear, and their window to an ecosystem they might otherwise never see.
This project started with our winning Pathfinder Prize from Hidden Compass (@hiddencompassmedia), which allowed Dr. Joseph Henry (@josephaureliohenry) of Triton Society (@triton_society) to capture the first stunning, 360-degree footage of #TheRebelReef. Now, through the Stanley Creators Fund, we’re building a permanent home for these immersive stories.
We are immensely grateful to the Stanley Creators Fund, Stanley 1913 and Hidden Compass for their belief and support. Together, we’re using technology not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for connection and conservation.
Stay tuned for more updates as we bring this vision to life. The waters of Tela are waiting to be explored, and soon, everyone will have a front-row seat!
Tela: Making Waves from Honduras to Abu Dhabi! ✈️
With support from @familiesinnature some of our incredible youth ocean ambassadors (Liam, Harper, Aubrey, Sawyer and Senyacen) recently had the opportunity to bring the story of
#TheRebelReef to the global stage at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
Held every four years, this event is the world’s largest and most inclusive environmental decision-making forum which brings together governments, businesses, academia, and more to address urgent environmental challenges. Its goal is to set global priorities for nature conservation, such as addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, by proposing solutions and shaping policies for the next decade.
Our youth ambassadors proudly shared the results of our team’s hands-on, independent research and community science. The groundbreaking work they shared at Congress included:
🔬 Independent Research Projects: Each ambassador designed and conducted their own research which encompassed topics like tracking coral health, analyzing the impact of local conditions, and monitoring new coral recruits on settlement tiles.
💪 Community Science in Action: They presented data showing how local volunteers, from students to tourists, can contribute to a global understanding of reef resilience.
📊 Data with a Purpose: Their work goes beyond observation. The data they’ve gathered is actively being used by Tela Coral and Tela Marine to guide conservation strategies.
Thank you to Families In Nature and to our amazing ambassadors for amplifying Tela’s story of resilience, action, and hope to the world. They are living proof that the next generation of reef guardians isn’t just waiting for the future. they’re building it, one data point at a time.
