The Story of Coralive

Coralive is a environmental organization (CHE-311.736.420 Swiss Association Registration Number and CR/99/2021 Maldivian NGO Registry), passionate for the ocean, operating worldwide to help protect, manage and restore coastal ecosystems. As in nature, diversity and synergies are key in creating a healthy environment, hence our team represents diverse backgrounds of experience and expertise to provide the multi-faceted services we offer.

The Coralive family is a growing global network of like-minded people, organizations and business partners, always open to new input and partnerships, so let us know how you might envision a collaboration!

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Ahmad “Aki” Allahgholi
Founder & Director
Aki has dedicated his energy and talents to marine conservation initiatives around the globe since 2011, from serving as Program Manager for marine conservation NGO Reefdoctor in Madagascar, to Project Manager for a Philippine-based NGO working on coral reef restoration, MPA management, and alternative livelihood solutions. Armed with a master’s degree in “Sustainable Natural Resource Management” and a thesis in “Coral Reef Restoration” from the United Nations mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, he is always searching for new knowledge and learning best practices to share.
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Joanne Wong
Scientific Advisor
Joanne is an ecologist with a strong background in coastal management and environmental impact assessment. She worked as an environmental consultant and researcher in themes varying from coastal planning and harbor green-engineering, to mangrove reforestation, microplastic pollution and saltmarsh ecology. Joanne’s quick thinking, analytic and spatial-oriented mind serves the Coralive team as an inestimable resource for evaluating, designing and executing projects.
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Zoe Tapps
Project Coordinator
Zoe is a marine biologist, earning her degree from Flinders University in South Australia. While overseeing the clown fish breeding program at a Maldivian marine conservation NGO, she witnessed firsthand the profound impact of anthropogenic climate change on coral reefs. This drove Zoe to dedicate her skills and passion to improving the health and resilience of our fragile reef ecosystems. With Coralive, Zoe will help create and lead diverse teams of volunteers and assist in both the organization and execution of reef restoration projects.
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Julie Pezin
Project Consultant
Julie has earned her Master's degree in Science, Conservation and Valorization of Marine Resources at the Université Côte d’Azur, France. Her scientific reasoning in combination with field work, plus her fascination for biodiversity resulted in dedicating her life exploring strategies to enforce resilience on marine ecosystems. She joined Coralive to monitor a 1 year coral experiment study with support of the Mineral Accretion Technology on Fregate Island, Seychelles. Her thesis highlights this study, which combines restoration strategies and technology in order to advance the research and facilitate large scale restoration projects in the near future.
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Matthew Walker
Project Consultant
Matt is a marine biologist from Scotland, who has been drawn to the oceans ever since childhood. Graduating from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, he set off to discover how he can use his passion and skills to make big impacts for the oceans, travelling the world and gaining experience in coral restoration, sea turtle conservation, as well as wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. With Coralive, Matt will focus on rebuilding ecosystems from the bottom-up, combining his knowledge and understanding to promote a diverse coral reef framework that ensures healthy ocean bionomics.
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Morgane Dierkens
Project Consultant & PhD Candidate
With a scientific background in Biological Sciences from the University of Namur and a Master degree in Marine and Lacustrine Science & Management at the Vrije University of Brussel, Morgane's focus is fully dedicated to conservation biology and ecosystem management. She has been involved in different projects related to coral reefs and mangrove forest management, utilizing her experiences in the field as well as her knowledge of coastal ecosystems and conservation. While joining Coralive’s team to contribute to coral reef restoration, she is also undertaking a PhD project on a holistic assessment of Mineral Aaccretion Technology in terms of coastal protection.
Angelina Ilyukhina
Management Support
Angie joins Coralive to support management operations from shore. Graduated from the University of Basel in Business and Economics, she brings her experience and expertise in process and project management. 
Her purpose is to create meaningful partnerships that will sustain the fascinating marine ecosystems, with the focus on coral preservation and restoration.
Richard Baxter
Project Consultant
Rich is an experienced island ecologist specializing in habitat restoration on both land and sea. He has dedicated the last decade to exploring and understanding the biodiversity of the Western Indian Ocean region and its interconnected terrestrial and marine ecosystems. His accomplishments include successfully deploying mineral accretion technology coral nurseries at Frégate Island and managing large-scale coral restoration projects in Maldives. Rich is also a member of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG), regularly engaging in fieldwork, diving, hiking, and communicating the importance of protecting numerous species through conservation efforts.