Dr. David Vaughan
Founder, President, and CEO
Dr. David Vaughan has held positions in aquaculture research and development for over 45 years. He directed the Aquaculture Division at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution for 17 years, including the design, build and operation of the 60 acre HBOI Aquaculture Development Park, the world’s only completely recirculating center for aquaculture training and demonstration.
Dr. David Vaughan is often cited with creating the R&D and scale up of clam farming technologies in Florida, and directing the training programs and operations of the nation’s largest hatchery to produce clams used for the retraining displaced fisherman.
He founded and developed ORA, Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums Inc., a large marine ornamental production facility and has worked with Philippe Cousteau and Earth Echo International on coral reef restoration initiatives.
As previous Executive Director of the Mote Marine Laboratory in the Florida Keys, he started the coral restoration program, heralded with developing the new technology of “micro-fragmentation”. Dr. Vaughan is presently helping people globally in this process as a scalable tool for reef restoration as Founder of Plant a Million Corals.
* Dr. David E. Vaughan has previously worked for and with many other marine science organizations over the years and has now retired from those entities and is solely representing Plant A Million Corals until he reaches this goal.
Dr. David Vaughan has been inducted as one of eight “Ocean Sentinels,” an honor recognizing individuals whose contributions to marine science and conservation have been highly influential and widely commended. His larger-than-life statue is featured as part of the Museum of Underwater Art.
Donna Vaughan
Co-Founder, Director, Education and Finance
Donna Vaughan is a marine education curriculum writer who has had a wide array of outreach experiences. She lived at the Rutgers University Marine Field Station for over 4 years assisting graduate students with thesis research projects both in the field and in the lab.
As director of Education at Harbor Branch Oceanographic she directed outreach programs for youth through the “Jason Project” and the Southeast Florida Ocean Fair.
Donna developed and implemented several curriculums such as Mangroves, Mosquitoes, and Man and the Manatee Observation and Education Center’s fieldtrip curriculum.
Working with at risk middle school students, she developed an in school aquaculture recirculating classroom system for growing tilapia. While being part of a training program teaching commercial fishermen the skills and technology of clam farming, she learned the importance of community outreach for introducing new technologies into a community particularly when it is enhancing the environment in a public setting. This will be a key factor for anyone accepting the challenge to “plant a million corals”.
Dee Dee Vaughan Smause
Co-Founder, Director, Development and Communications
Dee Dee grew up on and under the water. You could say that saltwater runs through her veins. Being raised by a marine biologist meant that almost all things revolved around the ocean, and that has continued to this day. As one of the co-founders of the Plant a Million Corals Foundation, her main role is to raise awareness and build partnerships for coral restoration.
Dee Dee’s professional career started much earlier and has ranged from the local to the global level. Working with the American Red Cross as the disaster response and volunteer coordinator, she handled volunteer recruitment, training, and deployment. While at the Earth Day Network, an international environmental advocacy based in Washington, D.C., she was the Executive Assistant to the President, assisting with organizational management, campaign development, and working with the media as a content contributor and writer. As the coordinator of the Florida Keys Community College Foundation (now College of the Florida Keys), Dee Dee was the lead administrator and fundraiser for the scholarship program supporting the students and programs of the school. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, she coordinated the disaster response for the students and staff, as well as assisting in the fundraising efforts to support those in need in the school. After the hurricane response, she joined the Florida Keys Community Land Trust, raising money and awareness for the lack of affordable housing in the Florida Keys as their Development Officer.
When the opportunity to start the Plant a Million Corals Foundation with her family, and actively support coral restoration around the world, she jumped at the chance to be a part of the founding team. Getting to work with practitioners, scientists, educators, supporters, and the community making coral restoration affordable, accessible, and scalable has been a dream come true!
Dee Dee lives in the Florida Keys with her husband, Jason, and their rescue pup, Isabela.
Jackson Woods
Jackson Woods grew up in Chicago, IL. Spending a lot of time in the Florida Keys visiting family, he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a marine biologist. Going fishing and diving on the reef with his grandparents made him want to focus on coral restoration. He attended the University of Tampa where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Biology and Environmental Science. Jackson is excited to be a part of the Plant a Million Corals team. He enjoys being part of the beginning of the organization, contributing to the innovation with Dr. Vaughan, working with corals, and the diversity of roles and responsibilities. Jackson lives in Key West with his girlfriend and enjoys spending his free time, fishing and diving the reefs he works so hard to protect.