Stephen Rodan

Stephen Rodan is a prominent figure in the field of coral reef restoration and robotics. Here are some key points about his background and achievements:

Role and Affiliations

• He is the President of the Beyond Coral Foundation, an organization dedicated to coral reef restoration.356
• Rodan is also the inventor of the Coral Husbandry Automated Raceway Machine (CHARM), a robotic system designed to automate and scale coral farming.135

Professional Background

• Rodan has a background as a former NASA-JPL engineer and is a graduate of MIT.4

Current Work

• He is currently involved in a groundbreaking project with CSIRO (Australia’s national science agency) to develop a soft robotic hand that can safely handle and transfer baby corals, a crucial step in coral reef restoration. This project aims to automate the labour-intensive process of coral propagation and is part of CSIRO’s Kick-Start program.123

Education and Pursuits

• In addition to his technical and entrepreneurial endeavors, Rodan is pursuing a Master’s degree.

Rodan's work with CHARM and the Beyond Coral Foundation is focused on revolutionizing coral farming and contributing to global efforts to restore coral reefs, which are under significant threat from climate change and human activities.