Coral Reefs Are the Heart of Our Oceans—Let’s Save Them
Dear Visitors,
We’re excited to share that Legacy Reef Foundation is evolving! We are currently in the process of rebranding and creating a new website to better reflect our mission and vision.
While this is a temporary page, you can still learn about our journey, explore our history, and discover how we’re working to protect coral reefs for future generations.
Thank you for your support and patience – stay tuned for our full website launch soon!
Our Commitment to Protect, Educate, and Collaborate
- Protect and Restore Coral Reefs: We aim to breathe life back into coral reefs through innovative solutions and active partnerships, creating resilient ecosystems for future generations.
- Empower through Education: By spreading awareness and fostering hands-on learning, we equip individuals with the knowledge to care for and protect ocean life.
- Collaborate with Communities and Innovators: Together with local leaders, passionate individuals, and global innovators, we accelerate progress in coral reef conservation and restoration.
- Inspire a Global Impact: Our goal is a world where people everywhere are informed, inspired, and actively contributing to ocean health and biodiversity.
Our Legacy of Impact
Supporting Coral Growth, Raising Awareness, and Contributing to Vital Research
Coral Growth and Innovation
We successfully grew and multiplied coral with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers and a marine biologist, demonstrating that coral propagation could be achieved with minimal resources.
Although regulations prevented reintroduction into the ocean, our efforts proved that coral nurseries can thrive even in a controlled environment.
Contribution to Research
Our corals were donated to a university to support critical research, furthering scientific understanding of coral growth and resilience.
This collaboration ensured that the work we began would contribute to long-term efforts in coral conservation through education and study.
Community Engagement and Education
Over the years, we welcomed a significant number of students and community members to our facility, hosting educational tours, seminars, and events that raised awareness about the urgent need to protect coral reefs.
These initiatives inspired the next generation of ocean stewards and conservation advocates.
The Road Ahead: A New Chapter for Coral Reefs
Expanding Our Mission: Empowering Communities, Raising Awareness, and Cultivating Innovation
As time passed, it became clear that in order to create long-lasting impact, we needed to shift our approach. Regulatory restrictions prevented us from returning the corals we grew to the ocean, and maintaining the coral tanks became unsustainable. In response, we donated the corals to a university, contributing to valuable research on coral growth and resilience. This decision marked a turning point for Legacy Reef Foundation.
Today, our focus has expanded beyond coral propagation. We are fostering innovation through our Coral Reef Innovation Incubator, helping bring new ideas and solutions to life. We have built a diverse network of volunteers—including grant writers, lawyers, marine biologists, and other experts—who are helping us position Legacy Reef Foundation as a competent and impactful incubator for coral reef preservation.
In addition to the incubator, we remain deeply committed to education and public engagement. We are actively fostering a network of volunteers who are passionate about raising awareness in their communities and inspiring collective action to protect coral reefs.
We are always open to new opportunities for collaboration, whether through innovative ideas, partnerships, or educational initiatives. Through our dual focus on innovation and education, we aim to empower individuals, communities, and future generations to take meaningful steps toward protecting and restoring our oceans.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Susanne Otero
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Susanne, a retired physician and anesthesiologist, is the cofounder of a nonprofit organization dedicated to coral restoration. Her journey into marine conservation began in retirement when she fulfilled a long-held dream of learning to dive in Hawaii. What started as a fulfilling hobby quickly turned into a mission when, after several years and hundreds of dives, Susanne returned to Hawaii to find once-thriving coral reefs reduced to fields of coral rubble due to bleaching events.
A chance encounter with a fellow diver who shared her concern over the disappearing reefs transformed her passion into a purpose. Susanne recognized that, for many coastal communities, the loss of coral reefs wasn’t just an ecological tragedy—it was a food security crisis. Where once fishers had easy access to reef-rich waters, they now risked their lives venturing farther offshore, sometimes with devastating consequences.
Bringing her medical background and public health awareness into this new field, Susanne and her cofounder envisioned a solution that could empower these communities. Recognizing that advanced coral restoration technology was often confined to well-funded labs in developed countries, they set out to create an accessible, community-based protocol for growing coral locally. Today, their nonprofit equips under-resourced coastal communities with the tools and knowledge to restore their reefs, supporting both the environment and the people who depend on it. Susanne’s journey highlights how a lifetime of service and a love for the ocean can merge to create lasting impact.
Bill Coney
Co-Founder
Bill Coney was born and raised in Kailua, Oahu. Bill grew up on the water and enjoyed sailing, surfing, and scuba diving as a young adult. After college in California, Bill returned to Oahu and opened Sensormatic Hawaii LLC, an industrial security firm that designed and built high-level security systems for commercial, state, and federal applications throughout the Pacific Rim. Bill’s firm engineered and installed protective systems for banks, airports, prisons, and missile bases throughout the Pacific Rim.
Before he sold his business in the mid-90s, Sensormatic grew into one of the largest security firms in the Pacific. Bill has since started a number of businesses and high-tech firms over the years. Bill moved to the Big Island in 2002 and has since retired. He now works as a business consultant part-time, runs a helicopter firm in Truckee Tahoe, and is co-founder of Legacy Reef Foundation.
In 2017, Bill, along with Dr. Susanne Otero, founded the Legacy Reef Foundation, a coral preservation and propagation research laboratory at NELHA, in Kona, Hawaii. His commitment to the environment and healthy business practices extends outside Legacy’s work. He is also a board member of the Oyster Recovery Partnership in Maryland, and a past board member of The Sierra Club.
Bill resides in Annapolis and Costa Rica, has three grown children and three grandchildren.
Thank You for Supporting Our Mission to Save Coral Reefs
Your generosity powers our mission to protect coral reefs and inspire change
With your help, we educate, inspire, and create long-term solutions for coral reef preservation. Together, we’re building a future where our oceans thrive.
Thanks to the critical help of individuals like you, we’ve been able to make a difference. Protecting coral reefs, fostering education, and helping small businesses adopt sustainable practices require a shared commitment. It takes more than just passion—it takes resources, time, and unwavering dedication.
Your contributions are the lifeline of our work. Without the generosity of those who care deeply about the future of our planet, many of our programs wouldn’t exist. Your continued involvement enables us to build solutions, engage communities, and secure a brighter future for coral reefs and the people who depend on them.
Where Your Contributions Go
Coral Wonders Program
Every $100 allows us to expand our Coral Wonders program into a new neighborhood, raising awareness about the importance of coral reefs and inspiring action.
Learn more
Our Coral Wonders program opens the door to understanding the critical role corals play in ocean health and human well-being. Through carefully crafted 3-to-5-minute lessons, we simplify complex topics, making them accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. These lessons inspire communities to take action, one neighborhood at a time.
Your $100 donation ensures we can bring this life-changing program to new audiences, helping them connect with the beauty and fragility of our ocean ecosystems. Together, we’re sparking conversations that lead to lasting change.
Neighbourhood Business Sustainability Initiative
For $500, we can support three restaurants in adopting green practices with tailored toolkits and hands-on guidance.
Learn more
Our Neighborhood Business Sustainability Initiative is a partnership-driven effort to help small businesses embrace eco-friendly changes. Each $500 donation lets us work with three local restaurants, providing them with the resources and guidance they need to make sustainable improvements.
From switching to reusable materials to implementing energy-saving techniques, our consultants work directly with business owners to make change simple and effective. These businesses not only reduce their environmental footprint but also serve as role models, inspiring others in their communities to follow suit.
Incubator Program
A $500 contribution helps us provide mentorship and tools to nonprofits and entrepreneurs dedicated to creating eco-innovations.
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The Legacy Reef Incubator Program is about empowerment. We connect skilled volunteers with nonprofits and entrepreneurs who have promising ideas for preserving our environment.
Your $500 donation funds a personalized evaluation for each participant, equipping them with customized marketing strategies, software, and tools to succeed. Imagine the impact of helping someone turn an idea into reality, whether it’s an eco-friendly business or a grassroots conservation effort.
This isn’t just about funding—it’s about building a legacy of innovation and collaboration that will ripple far beyond our immediate reach.
Operational Support
Your recurring support ensures we can hire and retain the skilled staff essential for building and sustaining our programs.
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At Legacy Reef Foundation, we believe that creating long-term change begins with a committed team. While volunteers bring incredible value, the continuity and expertise provided by paid staff are indispensable for our mission.
Recurring donations enable us to retain skilled professionals who can guide our programs with consistency and vision. By supporting this effort, you’re helping to overcome one of our biggest challenges: maintaining the stability and growth of our initiatives.
Together, we can build a stronger foundation for creating meaningful, long-lasting change.
Catchafire Membership
A $2,500 annual donation funds our membership, giving us access to over $210,000 worth of professional consulting services.
Learn more
Catchafire is our lifeline to expertise. This innovative platform connects us with professionals who donate their time and skills to support nonprofits like ours.
Last year, thanks to our $2,500 membership, we accessed over $210,000 worth of consulting in areas like grant writing, marketing, and program design. These services are crucial for helping us grow and achieve our goals.
By contributing to this fund, you’re not just supporting us—you’re amplifying the value of your generosity many times over. Together, we can bring even greater expertise to our work, ensuring we make the biggest impact possible.
Thank you for being a part of our mission.
Your support helps make it all possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes, Legacy Reef Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our EIN is included in your donation receipt: EIN 47-2386253.
2. How will my donation be used?
All donations go to our general fund, which supports key initiatives such as the Coral Wonders Program, Neighborhood Business Sustainability Initiative, Incubator Program, Operational Support, and our Catchafire Membership. Donations are allocated to where they’re needed most to maximize our impact.
3. Can I dedicate my donation in honor or memory of someone?
Yes, you can dedicate your donation in honor, memory, or support of someone special. Simply select the dedication option on the donation form, provide the honorary name, and choose to notify the honoree by email with a personal message if desired.
4. Can I set up a recurring donation?
Absolutely! Recurring donations provide steady support for our programs and can be easily set up during the donation process.
5. Will I receive a receipt for my donation?
Yes, all donors receive an email receipt immediately after their contribution. This receipt serves as your record for tax purposes. Each January, you will also receive a summary of your donations for the prior year, which includes the necessary information for tax purposes.
6. Can I cancel or modify my recurring donation?
Yes, you can cancel or update your recurring donation at any time. On the donation form, you can choose between a one-time or recurring donation. If you select a recurring donation, the system will automatically charge your credit card or bank account each month. Cancellations or updates can be made directly by the donor or by contacting us for assistance.
7. Do you accept corporate donations or matching gifts?
Yes! Legacy Reef Foundation welcomes corporate donations and matching gifts. Check with your employer to see if they offer a matching gift program.
8. Can I donate offline?
Yes, you can donate offline by mailing a check to:
Legacy Reef Foundation
200 N Vineyard Blvd. A325-5242
Honolulu, HI 96817
Alternatively, contact us at info@legacyreeffoundation.org for other offline donation options.
9. How do I know my donation is making a difference?
We are committed to keeping you informed about the impact of your support. Regular updates on our programs and initiatives will be shared through our website, mailing list, and social media channels. We also welcome personal conversations—many of our donors connect with us over the phone or in person to discuss the organization’s progress and future goals.
10. Is my donation secure?
Yes, your donation is securely processed through TheAuxilia.com, our trusted payment platform. TheAuxilia.com uses advanced encryption technology to protect your personal and financial information.