Productive aquaculture. Healthier seas.
Built around existing ecosystems and communities.
Productive aquaculture. Healthier seas.
Built around existing ecosystems and communities.
The Coral Exchange
We are an early-stage regenerative aquaculture company. Our process is designed to produce valuable products while helping to Improve local marine chemistry and preserve ecosystems.
Our approach mimics the planet's own pH balancing — the same natural processes that have regulated the ocean for hundreds of millions of years.
We combine a science led approach — controlled de-acidification, biological filtration, and closed-loop mineral buffering — with local knowledge of baseline biogeochemistry, species behaviour and operational conditions. This lets us design sites that:
- Maintain and improve water conditions supporting shell formation, larval survival and coral resilience
- Work with local partners to protect species, including those local fisheries depend on
- Generate measurable, independently verifiable data on marine life health and CO₂ sequestration
We design every site to integrate with — and complement — the people, industries and ecosystems already there. Our first sites are being developed in partnership with local landowners, scientists, NGOs, fisheries and coastal authorities.
Meet the Team
Shane Hughes
Shane Hughes
Shane Hughes
Chief Executive Officer
Experienced at solving complex sustainability challenges. He's led a 20-strong carbon consultancy team, sat on an SBTi expert advisory board, coordinated GHG governance at Ramboll, and managed millions of tonnes of EU ETS compliance at CEMEX in a hard-to-abate sector.
He's led a UN Global Compact peer learning progr
Chief Executive Officer
Experienced at solving complex sustainability challenges. He's led a 20-strong carbon consultancy team, sat on an SBTi expert advisory board, coordinated GHG governance at Ramboll, and managed millions of tonnes of EU ETS compliance at CEMEX in a hard-to-abate sector.
He's led a UN Global Compact peer learning program operationalising the Land Sector and Removals Protocol for 30 corporates, consulted on Olympic carbon neutrality strategy, and lead-verified GHG inventories for Coca-Cola, McDonald's Europe, National Grid and Google Ireland.
He's proudest of producing an event in the Brazilian Amazon with Greenpeace.
Paul Parker
Shane Hughes
Shane Hughes
Chief Technical Officer
Paul is a CTO with senior-level experience in MRV, GHG verification, and renewable energy engineering. He previously served as Global Carbon Lead at TÜV Rheinland, a leading international verification body, where he developed and delivered carbon services spanning GHG accounting, decarbonisation, and life cycle asse
Chief Technical Officer
Paul is a CTO with senior-level experience in MRV, GHG verification, and renewable energy engineering. He previously served as Global Carbon Lead at TÜV Rheinland, a leading international verification body, where he developed and delivered carbon services spanning GHG accounting, decarbonisation, and life cycle assessment (LCA) across multiple industry sectors.
He has also contributed to the TIC (Testing, Inspection and Certification) Council’s sustainability committee, with a focus on carbon removals. As Technical Director at HP Projects, he led the development of low-head hydropower sites on the River Thames, including securing both public and private equity funding.
Kazem Beaton
Shane Hughes
Senior Advisor
Chief Partnerships Officer
Aside from a period as Head of Experience & Growth at a 100+ person business, Kazem has spent most of his career in the charity and not-for-profit sector — leading stakeholder engagement, fundraising and leading strategic teams at organisations including Macmillan Cancer Support, Prostate Cancer UK, The Children'
Chief Partnerships Officer
Aside from a period as Head of Experience & Growth at a 100+ person business, Kazem has spent most of his career in the charity and not-for-profit sector — leading stakeholder engagement, fundraising and leading strategic teams at organisations including Macmillan Cancer Support, Prostate Cancer UK, The Children's Society and Freedom from Torture.
He shapes partnership strategy at scale, that deliver measurable impacts and serves a greater purpose.
He draws inspiration from family, food, travel, and the ocean.
Senior Advisor
Samantha Deacon
Senior Advisor
Commercialisation Consultant
A specialist in identifying and delivering successful business programmes, designing target operating models, and engaging senior stakeholders to realise benefits. He brings a 360° commercial view, sharp judgement, and a track record of innovation across automation, ERP and machine learning working with busines
Commercialisation Consultant
A specialist in identifying and delivering successful business programmes, designing target operating models, and engaging senior stakeholders to realise benefits. He brings a 360° commercial view, sharp judgement, and a track record of innovation across automation, ERP and machine learning working with business transformations for household names including DHL, Barclaycard, Barclays, Santander, Costa Coffee, Whitbread, Volkswagen, Daimler Chrysler, Mitie, Parcelforce, Cable & Wireless, Andersen Consulting and Homebase.
Samantha Deacon
Samantha Deacon
Samantha Deacon
Biodiversity Consultant
Sam has more than 25 years’ experience spanning environmental consulting, regulation and research. As Ramboll’s Global Lead for Biodiversity & Ecosystems, she delivered a four-year nature strategy, expanded the team from 240 to 330, and oversaw $20m in annual net revenue, earning recognition as a ‘World Class Exp
Biodiversity Consultant
Sam has more than 25 years’ experience spanning environmental consulting, regulation and research. As Ramboll’s Global Lead for Biodiversity & Ecosystems, she delivered a four-year nature strategy, expanded the team from 240 to 330, and oversaw $20m in annual net revenue, earning recognition as a ‘World Class Expert’ and Thought Leader for Nature.
Her expertise covers marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, pollution risk and restoration, product safety and stewardship, and natural capital analysis. Through The Nature Imperative, which she founded, she now advises organisations on nature-positive outcomes and strategy, is a certified SBTN trainer and international speaker.