Dylan Vecchione

Founder, ReefQuest

Dylan is the founder of ReefQuest and despite his young age, leads the development of the ReefQuest web site and is the creator of its centerpiece, the "Virtual Reef".  Dylan has personally taken thousand of underwater images that are being processed into the Virtual Reef 3D panoramas, and manages the Photosynth process involving in stitching those images into 3D transects. He has also played a critical part in the development of the @School Curriculum for middle and high schools. Dylan has received two commendations for his work on ReefQuest, one in 2011 one in 2012, from U.S. President Barak Obama, as well as a letter of commendation from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) administrator Lisa Jackson. 

Dylan was also select as a 2012 Global Teen Leader at the Three Dot Dash Just Peace Summit, the prestigious mentoring program promoted by the We Are Family Foundation in New York. As a result, Dylan and ReefQuest are currently being mentored by ocean conservation organization Oceana's Sr. Scientist, Margot Stiles.  Dylan was also nominated a Jr. Ocean Hero finalist by Oceana in 2011. The youth organization Kid's Heroes recognized Dylan as one of its Heroes for 2011. Dylan has received extensive press coverage and is a frequent speaker to schools and to many students on the subject of coral reef preservation, ocean conservation and marine environmental stewardship. In 2013, Dylan was invited to speak at the prestigious TEDxTeen Conference held in New York City. TEDxTeen is a TEDx event, where dedicated youth come to talk about the action and efforts they are taking to change the world. Dylan's talk was about ReefQuest, and how asking Passionate Questions, like Dylan did when he was young, will inevitably change the world. Watch Dylan's Talk now! Find out More about TEDxTeen at www.TEDxTeen.com.

Dylan is a certified Rescue Diver and recently received his Scientific Diver certification from Cornell University. He is also an avid sailor and swimmer.  Dylan attends the 12th grade at Wildwood School in Los Angeles, CA.