Meet the Reef Renewal Staff:
Francesca Virdis
Coordinator
Raised into a family of avid divers, Francesca received her scuba certification at early age. Her passion for the underwater world sparked a constant interest which she carried with her to school, receiving her MSc in Marine and Environmental Science from the University of Bologna, Italy in 2004. On June 2008 she decided it was time for a lifestyle change and a closer connection to the ocean, so she moved to Bonaire, where she started working as dive instructor. In 2012, Francesca was asked to get involved with the initial coral nursery set up and since then she has been dedicating herself to the Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire project coordination and development. Francesca’s love for the ocean and her dedication to reef restoration is a wonderful combination that leaves divers and volunteers happy to help, inspired to continue and excited to be part of the future of our reefs.
Garrett Fundakowski
Assistant Coordinator
Garrett comes to Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire from the United States with a B.S. in Mathematics and Biology from the University of Richmond. He first learned to dive while studying abroad at CIEE Bonaire in 2014 and immediately fell in love with the coral reef ecosystem. Since then, he has continued to pursue his passion for the marine environment while working in marine science education, recreational diving instruction, natural resource management, and coral restoration in the US. He is excited to be back in Bonaire and to join Reef Renewal’s team to work towards making a difference for the reefs above and below the water!
Alessandra Polo
Assistant Coordinator
Alessandra comes from a seaside village in Italy, born Pisces, she has always been fascinated by marine life since her early years. After obtaining her PhD in Molecular Biology at University of Vienna in 2016, she decided to spend more time outside of the lab and follow her dream into marine biology and education. She first came to Bonaire as a Teaching Assistant for CIEE Research Station. In her last 2 years, Alessandra has been teaching science at high school, has worked as a local PADI diving guide, but her true passion remains the conservation of the coral reef ecosystem. This is why she is so excited to be back and start working for Reef Renewal Bonaire.
Mission and History
