In his TEDxSaintThomas speech, "Shelter from the storm: Finding hope for coral reefs in a changing ocean" Viktor will share breathtaking images of the life that thrives at extreme depths; he will discuss the dangers of working at 230’; and most importantly, he will share how and why we should protect these reefs. Viktor Brandtneris is a marine biologist and Technical Diver at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Center for Marine & Environmental Studies. Before moving to St. Thomas, he worked as part of a research team on the remote Isla Contadora- a Panamanian island on the Pearl Islands archipelago. His time on Isla Contadora was difficult and life changing in a way that has shaped his perspective on himself and his mission in the world today. Since 2010, Viktor has been part of a team of researchers at UVI studying magnificent mesophotic coral reefs along the south side of St. Thomas. These deep water reefs, occurring between 100 feet to 230 feet, were largely unexplored by scientists despite the fact that coral reefs have been extensively studied in the region for the past 30 years. Viktor is working to document and preserve these deep reefs which already show sign of damage. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx