Aileen Maypa, Ph.D.

Accelerating coral reef recovery through science-based and community-friendly restoration toolkits in the Philippines

Coral reefs provide vital services for coastal communities, including shoreline protection and reef fisheries, and create habitat for nearly a quarter of all marine species. These ecosystems are being degraded in the Philippines, a hot spot for marine biodiversity, as they are throughout the world. Reef restoration, in which people take an active role in rebuilding reef habitats, has gained popularity in recent years as a tool to reverse these declines. But many active restoration projects are ineffective because of information gaps and the inexperience of practitioners.

Aileen Maypa will help accelerate the recovery of coral reefs in the Philippines by developing science-based and community-friendly protocols for effective reef restoration. She will collaborate with coral restoration scientists, practitioners, and government agencies to convene the first nationwide coral restoration-focused network in the Philippines. She and her team will establish centers and learning sites in the northern (Luzon), central (Visayas), and southern (Mindanao) regions of the country. Dr. Maypa will also work with local communities to develop accessible toolkits documenting effective practices for coral restoration and contribute to local and national biodiversity policy frameworks, including national plans for reef conservation.

To learn more about Dr. Maypa, read her bio.

See the full list of 2025 Pew marine fellows.