The youth ambassadors were sharing the story of Tela’s Rebel Reef, Honduras’ coral ecosystem defying the odds by thriving amidst Caribbean-wide decline.

Organized and led by Families in Nature (FIN), under the leadership of Tela Coral’s co-founder Heather Kulken, the Congress sessions provide an international stage for youth to showcase how citizen science can drive global conservation.

The students presented projects that were conducted in collaboration with Tela Coral and Tela Marine, highlighting the power of community-based, citizen science. From monitoring coral recruitment tiles to sharing insights into reef resilience, their work emphasizes the importance of engaging local youth and global visitors in hands-on ocean conservation.

We are incredibly proud of these young voices for carrying Tela’s story of resilience, action and hope to an international audience. Their voices — and the collective efforts of our partners at FIN, Tela Marine and our community, show that the next generation of reef guardians is ready to lead.

Tela’s Rebel Reef is more than resilient. It’s rebellious.