View the full proposal here.

Off the coast of Tela, Honduras, the Rebel Reef has been exposed to pollution, agricultural runoff, overfishing, and sewage for a century since banana plantations were planted on its shores. No one thought these conditions — hot temperatures, cloudy water, poor water quality — could support coral. And yet, the reef is biodiverse, abundant, and healthy. Coral cover is between two- and three-times as high as elsewhere in the MesoAmerican reef system. Over a dozen critically endangered species of coral thrive in Tela.

“The Rebel Reef” is a multimedia campaign about the audacity of hope. It takes us to a beach town where corals continue to defy the odds and give us reasons to believe. While stories of reefs too often tell the story from the point of view of the scientist from the Global North, this story focuses on the perspective of local “Aquaman” Christian Carias, a Honduran who wants — more than anything — to share the magic of this rare and defiant treasure with those who live along its shores.

In the modern world, hope seems like a brazen and futile act. Dare we take the risk to hope?

About the Expedition

“The Rebel Reef” will follow Honduran dive officer Carias into the ocean to share the magic of Tela with the world and work for its protection in an uncertain future. Through the lens of Carias’s dive mask, we will engage the local and global community in this unique and important story of resilience, joy, and purpose as we investigate the following questions:

Who does this thriving reef belong to?

What is behind its rebellious success?

Who gets to tell its story?

And, in the face of climate change, environmental destruction, and the lingering impact of colonization and conquest, should we dare to hope?

About the Team

• Christian Carias will be the expedition leader.
• Dr. Joseph Henry will be the coral reef ecologist, VR director, and underwater videographer.
• Tiffany Duong will be the director, producer, and writer.
• Brynne Rardin will be the creative director, underwater videographer, and drone pilot.
• Vinh Pham will be the videographer, photographer, and drone pilot.
• Senyacen Ramirez will be the biologist.
• Antal Borcsok will be the dive shop partner.

Expedition Deliverables

1. We will create a short documentary film as well as a 360 immersive dive experience that tells the story of Rebel Reef and allows those on land to experience the reef.
2. Because a significant part of our mission is to share this odds-defying reef with the people who live closest to it, we also plan to host two screening events of both films in Tela, Honduras. 
3. We will produce dispatches, photography, and articles for Hidden Compass Allies and readers

Attend the virtual pitch event on October 22, 2024 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. PT. The event is free, but registration is required. Register here!
*A recording of the team’s pitch will appear here following the event.

View the full proposal here.

Eastern and southeastern Australia is one of the most fire-prone regions in the world. The area’s eucalyptus-dominant forests and prairies have evolved to depend on regular burns. However, human interference and climate change is reshaping the role of fire in the region.

The negative modern perception of wildfire and the lack of controlled burning leads to a loss of biological diversity and uncontrollable blazes when fires do ignite.

We seek to both combat the notion that wildfire is wholly negative and to investigate the impact of devastating bushfires on animal and plant populations in Australia. Most modern scholarship on bushfires focuses on the human impact with little regard for the effect on plants and animals. Our project differs from contemporary scholarship in prioritizing ecological impact over destruction in human settlements.

When controlled, fire is essential in creating plant and animal diversity and maintaining the health of an ecosystem.

About the Expedition

In July 2025, we will depart on a expedition into the Australian bush to investigate the impact of bushfires on several keystone species and the communities most closely connected to them. Expedition leader Hannah Schoettmer, wildlife filmmaker Charlie Connell, science communicator Robert Boyd, and writer and photographer Olivia Hall will seek to illustrate the depth of the devastation that our changing climate and relationship to nature has created and answer the following questions:

What is the impact of Australian bushfires on the environment beyond the devastation of human settlements? 

What role does cultural burning play in fire and land management? 

How can we mitigate the frequency and severity of these fires in light of a changing climate and world?

About the Team

• Hannah Schoettmer will be the expedition leader.
• Robert Boyd will be the science communicator.
• Charlie Connell will be the wildlife filmmaker.
• Olivia Hall will be the photographer and writer.

Expedition Deliverables

1. As a team of environmental documentarians, our primary deliverable will be a high-quality short documentary film that advocates for wildlife in the Australian bush. Our film will feature experts, conservationists, and local stakeholders, and will visually chronicle keystone species, efforts to rehabilitate wildlife impacted by wildfires, and the steps being taken to prepare both humans and wildlife for future wildfire events.
2. We will produce a portfolio of photographs and magazine articles highlighting and indexing the status of keystone plant and animal species and their relationship to fire.

Attend the virtual pitch event on October 22, 2024 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. PT. The event is free, but registration is required. Register here!
*A recording of the team’s pitch will appear here following the event.