How we got our start

I.CARE Co-Founders Dr. Kylie Smith and Michael Goldberg first met during the summer of 2017. Kylie reached out to the Key Dives owner to be the support shop for the research she was conducting for her graduate work at Clemson University. Each time she came into the dive shop, Mike would launch into a discussion about what he was seeing on the reefs to gain a scientific understanding behind his observations. As time went on, these discussions moved from the dive shop between tank fills to over a beer at the local beer garden at The Florida Keys Brewing Company This is where the idea of I.CARE was born in December 2018.

Kylie and the Key Dives crew met for a beer after the local Reef Futures conference to catch up. True to Mike Goldberg fashion, he was full of questions about what information was presented at the conference. Kylie was excited to learn more about the conservation efforts ramping up at Key Dives, specifically the marine debris clean-up dives. It didn’t take long for the two to put together the idea for I.CARE; combining the science, technology, and best practices for successful coral restoration with the passion for marine conservation that only recreational divers have! Mike and Kylie started reaching out to contacts with Mote Marine Lab, permitting agencies (the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the FWC), and other Islamorada dive shops and all were in full support! In January 2021, I.CARE officially transplanted their first corals to Alligator Reef!

Learn more about Kylie, Mike, and the rest of our steering committee below! If you would like more information about our work, please contact us at info@icareaboutcoral.org

Steering Committee

Coral fragments on a bare coral headCoral head after reskinning
Small clusters of corals immediately after outplantingLarge, healthy coral colonies that have grown for two years

All I.CARE activities are permitted by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission