Sumter native goes on reef restoration expedition in Fiji

Amberlynn Fowler is a Sumter native who grew up immersed in nature. From fishing in the Santee River to visiting South Carolina's beaches to just watching nature documentaries, Fowler has always been fascinated with the world around her.

Taking a special interest in marine biology, it only made sense for Fowler to leave her hometown of Sumter to pursue her undergraduate degree at Coastal Carolina University. The university may have seemed far away from home at first, but she had no idea how far she'd be going from there.

After graduation, Fowler got accepted into a scientific diving program in Alaska where she met her boyfriend, Danny Antonelli. Fowler and Antonelli became dive buddies before dating, and after moving to Southern California together - where Antonelli is from - the duo is getting ready for an adventure unlike any other.

Fowler's love of nature extends beyond just wanting to be in it; she wants to positively impact it, too. That's why she and Antonelli are in Fiji on a coral reef restoration odyssey.

According to The Coral Reef Alliance, though coral reefs occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor, they are home to 25% of all marine life. All of the species living in coral reefs perform an important function, and having lots of species within those reefs helps an ecosystem withstand disturbances.

Though it is some people's dream to travel to Fiji, professional divers Fowler and Antonelli are there to work. Through coral restoration organization Counting Coral, the duo is working with locals, fellow marine biologists and volunteers to help restore coral reefs.

"This [coral restoration] is kind of new for us," Fowler said. "We both have a background in marine biology, so coral restoration specifically is what's going to be new for us, but we both have experience with coral."

Antonelli and Fowler will be working with resorts in Fiji to install gene banks that will grow pieces of coral to then be replanted on the reef. Antonelli said there are two sides to the project: one is to regrow pieces of coral that will be able to be replanted on the reef, and the other side is picking environments where the coral will experience slightly elevated stress than normal to figure out which species can best survive climate change.

"To have this chance, it's really exciting, and I just want to take it by the reins and just go," Fowler said.

Back home in California, Fowler is an aquarium biologist who works with fish, vertebrates, invertebrates, sharks and coral, among others. While she enjoys her work, it is much more lab-based than some of her previous work. With such a love for the outdoors, she is excited to have a chance to be working outside again, even if it's only for three weeks.

"I think being in a lab, you kind of miss the part of being outdoors and doing a lot of field work, so I'm really excited for the field work," Fowler said.

Antonelli is an expedition guide, so he gets to be outside plenty, but he is still looking forward to working in a new place.

Antonelli recalled his times visiting Sumter, remembering Sumterites' love of nature - be that through hunting, fishing or just enjoying the outdoors.

"There's a lot of young people that are probably developing an appreciation for [their] environment early on and can use that passion for being outside to do something good in protecting those places, too," Antonelli said. "It doesn't have to be traveling long ways or anything like that […] wildlife biology exists everywhere."

So, maybe we Sumterites won't be traveling to Fiji to restore coral reefs anytime soon, but we can help and appreciate the wildlife we have here. That can be by participating in Sumter's litter pickups, traveling to Congaree for one of its river cleanups or by simply respecting nature while you're in it. Or, if you are interested in helping coral reefs, a small way we can protect our reefs when traveling to the beach is by wearing reef-safe sunscreen, according to Fowler.

Counting Coral is a nonprofit, so any donations are appreciated to help the project. Donate to Counting Coral at www.countingcoral.com/donate. To support Antonelli and Fowler's efforts, donate to their PayPal at paypal.me/bluewatersavage or their Venmo at venmo.com/u/bluewatersavage.

"I hope I inspire someone who was just like me in Sumter when I was a little girl," Fowler said.