Our Team
Leneita Fix | Executive Director
Leneita grew up in the woods of New England, where there was far more exposure to pine trees than the sea. However, most summers she would travel to Maine, often for months, to spend time along the coast. This curiosity with the ocean began in childhood and followed her into adulthood. For over two decades, this love of the sea was used to help students in under resourced neighborhoods discover new avenues of education and exploration. In 2018, Leneita started with The Reef Institute as the Director of Education.
In 2019, Leneita was asked to step into the Executive Director position, drawing from over 23 years in the non-profit world working in strategic planning, direction and growth. It was with great joy that Leneita took the helm of this organization. Leneita loves knowing that not only do we educate others, but we are apart of the solution to save our ocean.
Mike Tavares | Facility Director/Chief Aquarist
Mike comes to the Reef Institute with over three decades of experience in coral husbandry and aquarium science. His attention to detail, and problem solving of coral care brings leadership to the restoration endeavors at the Reef Institute. Mike is passionate about conservation, fishing, motor sports and his family. You can find Mike typically with a cup of coffee nearby as he works tirelessly to restore the reefs in Florida and across the Caribbean.
Charis Peterson | Coral Biologist:Education
Charis is a marine conservationist who grew up in Michigan where her passion for the underwater world started in the local rivers and lakes. While in high school her family relocated to Georgia and this allowed her to pursue her passion and explore the ocean in her backyard. She received her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Coastal Ecology from the College of Coastal Georgia, and acquired her Masters in Biotechnology at University of Houston Clear Lake, then completed an internship at Coral Restoration Foundation. At CRF, she helped return thousands of corals to Florida’s Coral Reef, developed procedures to fragment pillar corals and monitor their growth.
Sharing coral with future ocean stewards and empowering them to take action to improve the health of coral reefs is what brought Charis to the Reef Institute. She hopes to bring her experience with ocean immersion education and coral restoration to the team.
Melissa Wagner | Coral Biologist:Restoration
Melissa graduated from Old Dominion University in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in marine biology. She loves corals and her greatest desire is to help save the ocean by saving the corals! She loves corals because they are home to more than 25% of all marine life. Anything you'd want to see can be found around a coral reef. Melissa loves being part of the Reef Institute because she get to help grow and take care of corals that will help repopulate the ocean's coral cover. Melissa helps lead our Peanut Island endeavors with tireless energy. Melissa loves her puppy and fiancé!