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In this episode, I sit down with ocean scientist, award-winning author, and nonprofit founder Juli Berwald to talk about one of the most surprising coral reef stories I’ve ever heard: a thriving reef in a bay that, by every scientific measure, shouldn’t have one. We get into the science behind it, what it means for reef restoration globally, and what Juli’s been building on the ground in Honduras.

We also talk about her journey as a science writer, her brand new book on seashells, and the parallel she draws between coral reef recovery and her own family’s experience with mental health. This one covers a lot of ground, and I loved every minute of it.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

In this conversation, you’ll get a crash course in some of the most exciting (and honestly kind of controversial) ideas happening in coral conservation right now. We talk about the Flonduran corals, what makes them special, and why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just gave permission for them to be planted in the Dry Tortugas for the first time.

You’ll also learn what cloud brightening is, how ship fuel regulations accidentally made ocean warming worse, why some scientists are now floating the idea of moving Pacific corals into the Caribbean, and so much more. If you’ve ever wanted to understand what’s actually being tried to save coral reefs, this is a great place to start.

What’s Been Happening in the World of Coral Since Life on the Rocks Was Published?

When Juli finished writing Life on the Rocks, she ended on a note of genuine hope. The Global Fund for Coral Reefs had just been announced, and it felt like momentum was building. Since then, the picture has been mixed. The fund hasn’t reached its fundraising goals, bleaching has continued to intensify, and the Florida Reef Tract has lost roughly 99% of its coral cover.

But Juli also says something has shifted in public awareness: more people know corals are in trouble and actually care. And then there’s the Tela Bay story, which came directly out of the book’s publication. A man in Honduras read it, reached out to Juli, and told her about a reef she had to see to believe. That reef became the foundation for everything Tela Coral, Juli’s new nonprofit, is doing now.

Juli’s Daughter Isy, and the Parallels between Coral Reefs and Mental Health

One of the most moving parts of Life on the Rocks (and of this conversation) is the story of Juli’s daughter Isy, who was dealing with severe OCD while Juli was in the thick of writing and researching. Juli shares an update on how Isy is doing today: she graduated high school, went to college, advocated for herself when she needed more support, and came back even stronger. She just returned from a semester abroad in Amsterdam and is now working toward becoming a therapist for kids with OCD.

Juli also talks about why she left the story in the book at all, and the parallel she draws between Isy’s recovery and coral reef recovery: both are invisible struggles, both require enormous time and resources and individualized care, and both are possible. It’s an honest and beautiful moment in our chat.

Tela Coral and Music for the Ocean

Tela Coral started because Juli got on a plane to Honduras to see a reef she didn’t believe was real, but it was. Now it’s a full nonprofit with a biobank in development, a free public aquarium (the only one in Central America), a documentary called The Rebel Reef currently on the film festival circuit, and a concert series called Music for the Ocean that has raised $86,000 for the work so far. The musician behind the concerts, Chad, is planning to move to Tela, Honduras, for three months this spring to bring the concerts directly to locals in the area.

Juli also mentions a research trip this fall through an adventure company called Adzentures, where participants will be diving to look for coral spawning, baby corals, and jellyfish polyps, and a team of citizen scientists will be recording the reef with hydrophones. Two spots were still available when we recorded this, so if you’re interested in joining, move fast!

Here are the Biobank Rendering Pics You’re Looking For!

In the video version of this episode, Juli shows us renderings of the biobank that Tela Coral is building in Tela, Honduras. For those listening to the audio version and wanting to see what they look like, click here!

Juli’s New Book The Shell Seeker and the Tokyo Book Launch

Juli’s newest book, The Shell Seeker: Encounters with 30 Seashells, comes out July 7th, 2026, and it is unlike anything else she’s written. It has a spinning cover that reveals each shell’s name, class, size, and habitat, and the inside is stunningly illustrated with Victorian-era shell drawings sourced by a photo researcher and laid out by a graphic designer. The book covers everything from sea silk made from a Mediterranean pen shell’s byssal threads to the reason 10% of shells are left-handed (same reason 10% of humans are, apparently!)

To celebrate the launch, Juli will be in Tokyo for a combined book launch, Music for the Oceans concert tour, and screening of The Rebel Reef. She describes it as a little bit chaotic and entirely her kind of thing.

Tips for Aspiring Science Writers

Juli didn’t always think of herself as a writer. She was a math major who got intimidated by other people’s talent and spent years writing textbooks before she worked up the nerve to try something more personal.

Her biggest piece of advice is to find a writing group and show up consistently. She credits hers with giving her the confidence and practice she needed before she ever started Spineless. She also swears by the 20-minute timer method: sit down, write, don’t stop, and trust that the first draft is supposed to be bad!

For people who want more structure, she recommends checking out the National Association of Science Writers and their resource site The Open Notebook, as well as graduate programs like the one at UC Santa Cruz.

She also notes — honestly and without sugarcoating it — that science writing is changing fast and traditional journalism jobs are harder to come by. Her take: multimedia skills (podcasting, short-form video, social media) are where the field is heading, and building those alongside writing is probably the smartest move right now.

Links We Mentioned

All About Juli Berwald

• Juli’s website: juliberwald.com
• Follow Juli: @juliberwald
• Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone — Juli’s first book
• Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs — Juli’s second book
• The Shell Seeker: Encounters with 30 Seashells — Preorder Juli’s newest book, out July 7th, 2026

Tela Coral

• Tela Coral website: telacoral.org
• Tela Coral on Instagram: @telacoral
• Music for the Ocean
• Adzentures: research trip to Tela with Juli this fall

Dive Deeper into the Science

• Global Fund for Coral Reefs
• Misha Matz — University of Texas coral geneticist proposing “super recruiter” Pacific Acropora corals for Caribbean restoration
• Cloud brightening / marine cloud brightening research — Dan Harrison, Southern Cross University
• Andrew Baker — coral geneticist at the University of Miami whose lab brought Tela corals to the U.S.
• Florida Aquarium — one of the institutions currently housing Tela coral colonies

Science Writing Resources

• National Association of Science Writers (NASW): nasw.org
• The Open Notebook: theopennotebook.com
• UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program
• MIT Knight Science Journalism Program

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