Fund marine research already under way in Japan, Micronesia, Spain and Belize, with partners including the University of Barcelona and the World Ocean Council. US 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 39-2591649.
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Research partner
Field partner
Your gift funds the research on this page: the tanks, the field work, the lab analysis and the people who run them. Give once or monthly, and direct it to a program if you like.
Your receipt is on its way by email. If you would like to talk about your gift or a partnership, email [email protected].
The institutions, hatcheries and organizations we work with.
Japan
Home to our giant clams, clownfish, carpet anemones and flowerpot coral. We grow out giant clams to reseed reefs, test them as natural microplastic filters, and test whether raising seawater pH can turn them into true carbon sinks. We also run an ongoing clownfish genomic study, rear Goniopora, and have spawned the carpet anemone Stichodactyla haddoni in captivity.
Micronesia
Our core field partner is the FSM National Aquaculture Center giant clam hatchery, run through Micronesia Management and Marketing Enterprises. Many of the clams in our Japan facility came from Kosrae, where we collected samples for our clam-to-coral symbiont experiment. We also work with clam farmers in Micronesia.
Spain
Our academic and laboratory partner. Researchers from the university advise IMARCS and supervise our genomic work, and the lab processes and analyzes our samples, including the symbiont work on giant clams and corals.
Belize
We are evaluating ongoing mangrove conservation activities in Belize, with specific attention to their carbon sequestration potential and biodiversity impacts.
Philippines
Pilot research mapped out on Semirara Mining and Power Corporation's giant clam seeding program: counts and surveys of seeded clams, and study of the clams as natural filters. Not yet under way.
Giant clams are Critically Endangered. These are the questions we are working on. See all current research.
Using samples from Micronesia and our University of Barcelona lab, we are testing whether zooxanthellae sourced from giant clams can speed the recovery of bleached corals and improve their thermal tolerance.
Giant clam shell formation is roughly carbon neutral. We are testing whether raising seawater pH to reef-flat levels (8.5 or higher) tips that balance and turns clams into true carbon sinks.
Giant clams filter the water around them. We are exploring them as natural filters for microplastics, and growing them out in mariculture tanks to reseed reefs.
Nearly every S. haddoni in the aquarium trade is collected from the wild. We have spawned it in captivity and are working on settling and rearing the larvae to juveniles, which to our knowledge has not been documented.
One species alone, Goniopora columna, made up about 7.2 million pieces of the coral trade between 2010 and 2020 under CITES records. We rear Goniopora in Japan for conservation and potential medical research.
An ongoing genomic study of our breeding pairs and their offspring. Our pairs also anchor school visits and our classroom curriculum.
Fund one of the programs above, from giant clam carbon research to captive breeding. Choose a program in the form, or talk with us about a larger commitment.
Adopt a giant clam, clownfish pair, carpet anemone or flowerpot coral for your office, with monthly updates your team can follow. See the reef residents.
Recommend a grant to the IMARCS Foundation, EIN 39-2591649, through your fund's grant portal.
Many employers match charitable gifts. Ask your HR or giving team to match your gift to the IMARCS Foundation.
For sponsorships, restricted gifts, multi-year commitments or visits, email our President.
[email protected]
President and Head of Life Support
Runs the life support systems that keep every reef resident in our tanks alive.
Vice President and Lead Researcher
Over a decade working in reefs, mangroves and tropical forests for organizations including UN Green Corps.
Treasurer and Head of Indigenous Outreach
A member of the Karen people who fled persecution in Myanmar, Gui leads our work with indigenous communities.
Research Advisor
A marine molecular ecologist and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Barcelona.
Research Advisor
A mollusc specialist who has helped describe dozens of new species and has been a postdoc at Harvard and taught at the University of Barcelona.
The IMARCS Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 39-2591649. Donations may be tax deductible. You receive an email receipt for every gift.
Yes. Choose a program in the form above, or email us to discuss a restricted or multi-year gift.
Yes. Choose Monthly in the form. You can change or cancel a monthly gift anytime.
Yes. Recommend a grant to the IMARCS Foundation, EIN 39-2591649, through your fund's portal.
Many do. Ask your HR or giving team; we are happy to provide anything they need.
Partners can arrange a visit to our facility in Japan. Email us to plan one.
Email our President at [email protected].
Every gift goes to work in the tanks, the field and the lab.
