DAVID GROSS
Principal Advisor - Caribbean Coral Ark
David is a marine biologist, a Master Naturalist and a Certified Interpretive Guide. Owing to his deep passion for coral reefs, he as over four decades of work experience as an Aquarist, Curator and Director in public aquariums.
Beginning in 1979 he has been on the opening teams of several world-renowned institutions, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Wild Center and Via Aquarium. With his established expertise in setting up closed life support systems for land-based coral gene banking or micro fragmentation, David has set up coral reef displays at the National Aquarium in Baltimore in 1984, and the Aquarium in Kemah. David has also developed the Coral Innovation Hub on St. Croix for The Nature Conservancy and since attending Dr David Vaughan's First Aquarium Restoration workshop in December 2017 is now focused on leveraging his experience, expertise, and knowledge to expand coral conservation efforts across the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot.
At WYLD PLANET, David spearheads the ambitious “Caribbean Coral Ark” project. Through the setting up of 10 coral biobanks across the Caribbean as its first 5-year pilot project. This coral reef restoration project aims to regenerate reef ecosystems that have been decimated by the deadly Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.
