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Reefs Unknown Inc

EIN 66-0970417 · Charlotte Amalie, VI

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthNot ratedToo small or too little detailGovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

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.

Income
$507,852
Spending
$20,944
Spent on programs
32%
Reserves
Over 10 years of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 90%
Employees
0
Volunteers
5

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (science, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $6,744 spent. 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. WE COLLABORATED WITH PARTNERS IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TO CREATE 3D MODELS OF CORAL REEFS AND HISTORIC SHIPWRECKS IN BVI WATERS. THOSE MODELS ARE BEING USED BOTH FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AS WELL AS IN VIRTUAL REALITY AS OUTREACH TO THE PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDERS.
  2. USVI DEEP LETTUCE CORAL REEF STUDY:REEFS 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 MONITORING:REEFS 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.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since November 2021.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.