Reefs Unknown Inc is located in Charlotte Amalie, VI. According to its NTEE Classification (U21) the organization is classified as: Marine Science & Oceanography, under the broad grouping of Science & Technology and related organizations. This organization is an independent organization and not affiliated with a larger national or regional group of organizations. Reefs Unknown Inc is a 501(c)(3) and as such, is described as a "Charitable or Religous organization or a private foundation" by the IRS.
Form
990
Mission & Program ActivityExcerpts From the 990 Filing
TAX YEAR
2022
Describe the Organization's Mission:
Part 3 - Line 1
TO PERFORM SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENTS OF SENSITIVE AND LESSER KNOWN DEEP CORAL REEFS, AND IMPLEMENT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THESE UNUSUAL MARINE ECOSYSTEMS.
Describe the Organization's Program Activity:
Part 3 - Line 4a
1. VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) EXPLORATION OF DEEP MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEFS.ALTHOUGH THE PUBLIC IS FAMILIAR WITH THE EXISTENCE OF THESE REEFS AS RICH FISHING GROUNDS, FEW HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE. USING SCUBA EQUIPMENT AND A SPECIAL VIRTUAL REALITY CAMERA, REEFS UNKNOWN WILL CREATE VR VIDEOS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE TO SHOW THIS REMARKABLE AND UNFAMILIAR ECOSYSTEM TO STUDENTS OF VARIOUS AGES. THE DIVES WILL BE CONDUCTED PRIMARILY BY FOUNDERS VIKTOR BRANDTNERIS AND SARAH HEIDMANN. MR. BRANDTNERIS IS A TECHNICAL DIVE OFFICER IN THE RESEARCH DIVE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS (UVI). MS. HEIDMANN IS A RESEARCH ANALYST AT UVI. THEY WILL LIKELY COLLABORATE WITH OTHER NON-PROFITS IN CREATING AND SHARING EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL TOGETHER ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 30% OF THE PRINCIPALS' TOTAL TIME AND THE ORGANIZATION WILL ALLOCATE APPROXIMATELY 25% OF ITS ASSETS FOR THIS PROJECT. REEFS UNKNOWN PLANS TO FUND THIS ACTIVITY BY PRIVATE DONATIONS. THE VR EXPLORATION WILL FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSES BY DIRECTLY ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE OF LESS EXPLORED DEEP REEFS THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR TO MOST OF THE PUBLIC. REEFS UNKNOWN ANTICIPATES OBTAINING FUNDING FOR THE VR EXPLORATION PROJECT THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS. THE VR EXPLORATION DIRECTLY FURTHERS THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RESEARCHING DEEP CORAL REEFS AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC REGARDING THESE LARGELY UNKNOWN SYSTEMS.
2. USVI DEEP LETTUCE CORAL REEF STUDYREEFS UNKNOWN ALSO WILL RESEARCH DEEP LETTUCE CORAL REEFS, WHICH ARE FOUND BY THE DROP OFFS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AT DEPTHS BETWEEN 190 TO 240 FEET. THESE VERY DEEP REEFS ARE GREATLY THREATENED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN IMPACTS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL INVOLVE DIVING THESE REEFS TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CORALS AND THEN USING THE EXPLORATIONAL DIVES TO PRODUCE MEDIA USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, THUS INCREASING AWARENESS OF THIS VULNERABLE ECOSYSTEM. THE DEEP LETTUCE CORAL REEF STUDY WILL UTILIZE APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE ORGANIZATION'S RESOURCES, AND ABOUT 50% OF THE PRINCIPALS' TIME. MR. BRANDTNERIS AND MS. HEIDMANN WILL CONDUCT THE DIVES BUT WILL COLLABORATE WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND WITH MEDIA OUTLETS TO SHARE THEIR PRODUCTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. THIS PROJECT WILL BE FINANCED BY PRIVATE DONATIONS. THE USVI DEEP LETTUCE CORAL REEF STUDY WILL ADVANCE SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT A VARIETY OF CORAL REEFS THAT ARE HIGHLY THREATENED.
3. EASTERN PACIFIC REEF MONITORINGREEFS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC ARE SHALLOWER THAN THE CARIBBEAN MESOPHOTIC REEFS, YET, DUE TO THE HIGH LEVELS OF ACIDITY AND LARGE TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS IN THESE WATERS, THEIR STUDY CAN YIELD IMPORTANT INSIGHT INTO THE FUTURE OF OTHER CORAL REEFS GIVEN THE GLOBAL WARMING AND INCREASED ACIDITY IN OUR OCEANS. MR. BRANDTNERIS HAS BEEN STUDYING THESE REEFS WITH COLLEAGUE DR. TYLER SMITH FOR TEN YEARS AND ANTICIPATES OBTAINING FUNDING FROM PRIVATE DONATIONS TO CARRY OUT TWO FIELD EXPEDITIONS, ONE TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AND ONE TO PACIFIC PANAMA. THE COST OF THESE EXPEDITIONS WILL AMOUNT TO APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF OVERALL EXPENSES. THE EASTERN PACIFIC REEF MONITORING WILL LIKELY AMOUNT TO 40% PERCENT OF MR. BRANDTNERIS' TIME. THIS ACTIVITY DIRECTLY FURTHERS REEFS UNKNOWN'S EXEMPT PURPOSES BY INCREASING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF ALL CORAL REEFS.
Name (title) | Role | Hours | Compensation |
---|---|---|---|
Viktor Brandtneris President & Treasurer | OfficerTrustee | 8 | $0 |
Sarah Heidmann VP & Secretary | OfficerTrustee | 8 | $0 |
Sara Dent Director | Trustee | 0.1 | $0 |
Andrew Hemmert Director | Trustee | 0.1 | $0 |
Kristin Rasmussen Director | Trustee | 0.1 | $0 |
Statement of Revenue | |
---|---|
Federated campaigns | $0 |
Membership dues | $0 |
Fundraising events | $0 |
Related organizations | $0 |
Government grants | $0 |
All other contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts not included above | $515,372 |
Noncash contributions included in lines 1a–1f | $0 |
Total Revenue from Contributions, Gifts, Grants & Similar | $515,372 |
Total Program Service Revenue | $0 |
Investment income | $4,302 |
Tax Exempt Bond Proceeds | $0 |
Royalties | $0 |
Net Rental Income | $0 |
Net Gain/Loss on Asset Sales | $0 |
Net Income from Fundraising Events | $0 |
Net Income from Gaming Activities | $0 |
Net Income from Sales of Inventory | $0 |
Miscellaneous Revenue | $0 |
Total Revenue | $519,674 |
Statement of Expenses | |
---|---|
Grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments. | $0 |
Grants and other assistance to domestic individuals. | $1,000 |
Grants and other assistance to Foreign Orgs/Individuals | $0 |
Benefits paid to or for members | $0 |
Compensation of current officers, directors, key employees. | $0 |
Compensation of current officers, directors, key employees. | $0 |
Compensation to disqualified persons | $0 |
Other salaries and wages | $0 |
Pension plan accruals and contributions | $0 |
Other employee benefits | $0 |
Payroll taxes | $0 |
Fees for services: Management | $0 |
Fees for services: Legal | $0 |
Fees for services: Accounting | $0 |
Fees for services: Lobbying | $0 |
Fees for services: Fundraising | $0 |
Fees for services: Investment Management | $0 |
Fees for services: Other | $0 |
Advertising and promotion | $0 |
Office expenses | $3,132 |
Information technology | $0 |
Royalties | $0 |
Occupancy | $0 |
Travel | $0 |
Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state, or local public officials | $0 |
Conferences, conventions, and meetings | $0 |
Interest | $0 |
Payments to affiliates | $0 |
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization | $1,313 |
Insurance | $4,798 |
All other expenses | $0 |
Total functional expenses | $10,243 |
Balance Sheet | |
---|---|
Cash—non-interest-bearing | $518,679 |
Savings and temporary cash investments | $0 |
Pledges and grants receivable | $0 |
Accounts receivable, net | $0 |
Loans from Officers, Directors, or Controlling Persons | $0 |
Loans from Disqualified Persons | $0 |
Notes and loans receivable | $0 |
Inventories for sale or use | $0 |
Prepaid expenses and deferred charges | $0 |
Net Land, buildings, and equipment | $5,252 |
Investments—publicly traded securities | $0 |
Investments—other securities | $0 |
Investments—program-related | $0 |
Intangible assets | $0 |
Other assets | $0 |
Total assets | $523,931 |
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $0 |
Grants payable | $0 |
Deferred revenue | $0 |
Tax-exempt bond liabilities | $0 |
Escrow or custodial account liability | $0 |
Loans and other payables to any current Officer, Director, or Controlling Person | $0 |
Secured mortgages and notes payable | $0 |
Unsecured mortgages and notes payable | $0 |
Other liabilities | $0 |
Total liabilities | $0 |
Net assets without donor restrictions | $523,931 |
Net assets with donor restrictions | $0 |
Capital stock or trust principal, or current funds | $0 |
Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building, or equipment fund | $0 |
Retained earnings, endowment, accumulated income, or other funds | $0 |
Total liabilities and net assets/fund balances | $523,931 |