About Us

Two Decades on the Reef

Sea Ventures Marine Response Unit is a Puerto Rico-based organization specializing in coral reef ecology, marine restoration, monitoring, and emergency response.

Who We Are

Sea Ventures Marine Response Unit (MRU) is a company specializing in coral reef ecology, marine restoration, monitoring, mitigation, and marine response to anthropogenic and natural disasters.

Over the past two decades, our MRU has grown into a thriving scientific diving department comprised of expert marine scientists, certified scientific divers, and coral restoration technicians — all supported by a senior staff of research vessel captains, crew, commercial divers, dive masters, and dive instructors.

We work across Puerto Rico's coastal waters, partnering with federal and local agencies to protect and restore the reef ecosystems that anchor our island's marine environment and coastal economy.

Our Partners

NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
DRNA
Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales
DPNR
Dept. of Planning and Natural Resources
PGM-ISER-CARIBE
Institute for Social-Ecological Research in the Caribbean

What Guides Us

Our work is shaped by a commitment to science, readiness, and community.

Scientific Rigor

Every operation is grounded in peer-reviewed methodology. We document everything, monitor outcomes, and contribute data to regional and national research programs.

Emergency Readiness

Natural and anthropogenic disasters don't wait. Our team maintains the capacity to mobilize rapidly for grounding response, storm recovery, and disease intervention.

Community & Outreach

We believe reef restoration is everyone's responsibility. Public education, stakeholder engagement, and community dives are integral to what we do.

Innovation

From wave attenuation structures to sponge nurseries, we test and apply new restoration tools to continuously improve outcomes on the reef.

Our Journey

From a small diving operation to a full marine response unit.

2000
2000s

Foundation

Sea Ventures MRU is established in Puerto Rico, beginning as a small scientific diving operation focused on reef surveys and marine research support.

2010
2010s

Restoration Expansion

The team expands into active coral restoration, establishing the first coral tree nurseries and developing protocols for outplanting Acropora species at degraded reef sites.

2017
2017

Hurricane Maria Response

Following Hurricane Maria, SVMRU leads emergency rubble stabilization and colony rescue operations across impacted reef sites, becoming a regional leader in post-disaster marine response.

2020
2020s

NOAA Partnership & Scale

Funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, SVMRU scales operations to multiple reef sites, outplanting thousands of corals annually and expanding disease response capabilities.

2026
2026

Coral Reef Week 2026

In partnership with DRNA and Coral Puerto Rico, SVMRU hosts Coral Reef Week public snorkeling events, bringing community members into active restoration zones.

Ready to Collaborate?

Get in touch to learn more about our programs, partnerships, and consultation services.