Ten projects spanning blue carbon ecosystems and marine microbes will receive $3.4 million to demonstrate the use of genetic rescue as a tool for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Among the awardees is a team developing the first rapid, non-lethal field test to determine the sex of sea turtle hatchlings — a critical tool for tracking how rising temperatures are skewing sex ratios in wild populations.
At a glance:
- 160 Letters of Intent requesting funding
- Advisors distilled the top 24 projects
- 10 projects awarded
- $3.4M total funding awarded
SAUSALITO, CA | Revive & Restore today announced the inaugural cohort of the Climate Resilience Fund, awarding $3.4 million across ten new projects that apply genetic rescue technologies to marine and coastal ecosystems under threat from climate change. The announcement, made on Earth Day, marks a significant strategic expansion for the conservation biotechnology nonprofit into the climate space and deeper into genetic rescue for marine species, including plants, algae, and microbial life.
The fund was established to demonstrate that genetic rescue can advance both climate adaptation and mitigation through innovative use cases, and to build a cohort that reflects breadth across ecosystems, genetic rescue approaches, technical risk levels, geographies, and potential real-world applications.
“Together, we hope these projects will demonstrate that genetic rescue is a powerful lever for the blue carbon ecosystems that underpin both ecological and human communities in the face of climate change,” said Dr. Liv Liberman, Director of Ocean and Climate at Revive & Restore and program manager for the Climate Resilience Fund.
The response to Revive & Restore’s Request for Proposals last fall far exceeded expectations. The organization received 160 Letters of Intent requesting approximately $52 million in funding, more than fifteen times the available funds. Twenty-four proposals advanced to full review, evaluated by a ten-person external panel with expertise spanning conservation genomics, molecular biology, microbial ecology, marine carbon dioxide removal, and biotechnology. Based on their assessments and a thorough analysis of the portfolio’s scope and cohesion, ten projects were selected for funding.
The cohort breaks new ground for Revive & Restore in every dimension: new taxa and ecosystems, new geographies, new partner institutions, and novel technologies that complement the organization’s established Genetic Rescue Toolkit.
Projects were selected for their innovative use of biotechnologies, strong collaborations with restoration practitioners and resource managers, and clear pathways from research to real-world application. The selected portfolio spans:
- Mangroves (2)
- Kelp forests (2)
- Marine microbes (2)
- Seagrass meadows (1)
- Salt marshes (1)
- Fucoid macroalgae (1)
- Sea turtles (1)
Geographically, the cohort spans the US Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Australia, reflecting the global reach of the climate challenges these ecosystems face and the scientific communities working to address them.
“We believe these ten projects will demonstrate what genetic rescue can do for blue carbon ecosystems. We plan to build on that momentum and bring the same approach to terrestrial ecosystems next.” – Ryan Phelan, Co-founder and Executive Director
Full project descriptions for the first cohort, including lead institutions, target ecosystems, proposed biotechnology approaches, and geographic focus, are available here.
About the Climate Resilience Fund
The Climate Resilience Fund is a grantmaking initiative of Revive & Restore that supports innovative applications of biotechnology and genetic rescue to marine species and ecosystems facing climate-driven threats. The fund’s inaugural cohort focuses on blue carbon ecosystems and marine microbes, with an emphasis on projects that have clear pathways from research to restoration practice.
About Revive & Restore
Revive & Restore is a nonprofit conservation organization that develops and promotes genetic rescue technologies to protect and restore endangered and extinct species. Founded in 2012 by Stewart Brand and Ryan Phelan, the organization works across birds, mammals, coral, and marine ecosystems to demonstrate that biotechnology is an essential tool in the conservation toolkit.
Media contact
Elizabeth Bennett, Communications Director, Revive & Restore, elizabeth@reviverestore.org
