MITCH CARL
There’s not an ocean in sight from his Omaha home and workplace, but that hasn’t stopped 1996 UNO graduate Mitch Carl from becoming an international expert in saving coral reefs. Carl’s regular gig is as curator of aquatics at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, where he’s worked since 1997. He’s also on the aquarium advisory board and carries out research for SECORE (SExual COral REproduction), an organization dedicated to saving coral around the world. That’s taken Carl to places throughout the Caribbean like the small island of Eluethra working to reverse the decline of Bahamian coral reefs. He’s also in demand to present at workshops and to teach others the secrets of his success reintroducing coral. His work is critical as disease and pollution accompanied by Caribbean hurricanes have put many coral on the endangered species list. They’re worth saving, Carl says, because coral reefs provide a barrier to the sea’s buffeting waves and offer a protective environment for many marine species.