Rachel Silverstein, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer and Miami Waterkeeper

Rachel Silverstein, Ph.D.
Miami Waterkeeper and Chief Executive Officer Rachel Silverstein, Ph.D., is a renowned marine biologist and environmental advocate dedicated to safeguarding clean water and marine ecosystems in South Florida.
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Dr. Rachel Silverstein joined Miami Waterkeeper as Executive Director and Waterkeeper in June 2014. Since joining the organization, she has led the team to numerous landmark water wins — from protecting and restoring coral reefs, to ensuring nuclear power plants account for climate change risks, to stopping sewage leaks and industrial pollution.  

Rachel’s work is grounded in science and research, and spans hyperlocal campaigns with wide-ranging regional and national impact. She has received national and international recognition for her leadership, including being named a 2023 Elevate Prize winner, a Miami Herald Visionary Award recipient, and Florida Wildlife Federation’s Water Conservationist of the Year, among other honors. She has been quoted in hundreds of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Today Show, and Bloomberg News, and has published numerous op-eds and peer-reviewed scientific articles.

Prior to joining Miami Waterkeeper, Rachel was a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow and served as Professional Staff for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard in Washington, D.C.

Rachel earned her SCUBA certification at age 14 and has been a diver ever since. She graduated cum laude from Columbia University in 2006 with a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, and received her Ph.D. in 2012 from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Her doctoral research focused on the impacts of climate change on coral reefs and was supported in part by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Awards

  • Women Who Make A Difference, Junior League of Miami (2025)
  • The Ernesto Lassode la Vega Award, Florida Lake Management Association (2025)
  • Elevate Prize, Elevate Prize Foundation (2023)
  • Mayor's Pioneer Award, In the Company of Women, Parks Foundation (2023)
  • Water Conservationist of the Year, Florida Wildlife Federation (2022)
  • Miami Herald Visionary Award (2016)
  • UM Reitmeister-Abess Center Environmental Stewardship Award (2016)
  • Diatom Award for Environmental and Civic Activism by the City of Miami Beach (2015)
  • Top 20 environmentalists in South Florida by The New Times (2016)

In the Media

Rachel has delivered keynote addresses and has been quoted in hundreds of press articles, including multiple pieces in the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, the Today Show, Bloomberg, and more. She has also published many Op-Eds and peer-reviewed scientific literature. More coverage can be found at www.miamiwaterkeeper.org/press.

  • (2025) Why hurricane flooding is about to get even more dangerous in Florida National Geographic 
  • (2025) Miami’s Drinking Water Is Threatened by a Florida Nuclear Plant Bloomberg
  • (2025) Ageing nuclear plant in Florida at risk from climate crisis, advocates warn - Guardian
  • (2024) Invest in Innovation to Reverse Damage Done to Coral Reefs, Build Coastal Resilience - The Invading Seas
  • (2024) The Erin Brockovich Effect - Air Mail
  • (2023) PortMiami dredging killed 80 times more coral than expected - Miami Herald
  • (2023) Making South Florida a Model for Clean Water [Podcast] - WLRN Sundial
  • (2023) Knight puts $8 million into push to make Miami ‘the most climate literate city in the nation - Miami Herald
  • (2021) Safety concerns at Turkey Point are rising, along with the sea level - Miami Herald
  • (2017) Toshiba won’t be building FPL’s nuclear reactors. Customers should not have to keep paying - Miami Herald
  • (2017) Army Corps' Alternative Facts Bad News for our Reefs - Sun Sentinel 
  • (2016) Dredging of Miami Port Badly Damaged Coral Reef, Study Finds - New York Times
  • (2016) State of Florida wants to add more dangerous chemicals to our water - Miami Herald
  • (2015) Despite Protections, Miami Port Project Smothers Coral Reef in Silt - New York Times
  • (2015) Port expansion damaged unique coral reefs - Miami Herald
  • (2014) Legal settlement a win for Miami and our bay - Miami Herald

Civic Engagement

  • International Women's Forum (Member, 2024 to present)
  • Miami-Dade County's 30x30 Vision Council (Appointed by Chair Oliver Gilbert)
  • University of Miami Alumni Board of Directors (2024 to present)
  • Appointed by Commissioner Ken Russell to the City of Miami Sea Level Rise Advisory Board (2016-2017)
  • Appointed by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava & Danielle Cohen Higgins to the Miami Dade Biscayne Bay Shoreline Development Review Committee (2016-ongoing)
  • Miami Fellow with the Miami Foundation (2016-2017)
  • New Leaders Council Institute (2016)

Scientific Publications

  • Cunning, R., Silverstein, R. N., Barnes, B. B., & Baker, A. C. (2019). Extensive coral mortality and critical habitat loss following dredging and their association with remotely-sensed sediment plumes. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 145, 185–199.
  • Cunning, R., Silverstein, R.N. & Baker, A.C. Coral Reefs (2018) 37: 145-152. ** Winner: Best paper of the year in the Journal Coral Reefs**
  • Silverstein, R. N., Cunning, R., & Baker, A. C. (2017). Tenacious D: Symbiodinium in clade D remain in reef corals at both high and low temperature extremes despite impairment. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 220(Pt 7), 1192–1196. 
  • Barnes, B.B., Hu, C., Kovach, C., & Silverstein, R. (2015) Sediment plumes induced by the Port of Miami dredging: Analysis and interpretation using Landsat and MODIS data. Remote Sensing of the Environment, 170, 328-339
  • Cunning R, Silverstein R, Baker AC (2015) Investigating the causes and consequences of symbiont shuffling in a multi-partner coral symbiosis under environmental change. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1809), 20141725.
  • Pelc R. A., Max, L. M., Norden, W, Roberts, R., Silverstein, R., & Wilding, S. R. (2015) Further action on bycatch could boost U.S. fisheries performance. Marine Policy, 56, 56-60. 
  • Silverstein R, Cunning R, Baker AC (2014) Change in algal symbiont communities after bleaching, not prior heat exposure, increases heat tolerance of reef corals. Global change biology, 21(1), 236-249.
  • Silverstein, R. N., Correa, A. M., & Baker, A. C. (2012). Specificity is rarely absolute in coral-algal symbiosis: implications for coral response to climate change. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 279(1738), 2609–2618.
  • Silverstein R (2010) Bracing for oil. Science, 329, 628-628.
  • Silverstein R. N., Correa, A. S., LaJeunesse, T. C., Baker, A. C.  (2011) Novel algal symbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) diversity in reef corals of Western Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 422, 63-75.
  • Kenkel, C. D., Aglyamova, G., Alamaru, A., Bhagooli, R., Capper, R., Cunning, R., deVillers, A., Haslun, J. A., Hédouin, L., Keshavmurthy, S., Kuehl, K. A., Mahmoud, H., McGinty, E. S., Montoya-Maya, P. H., Palmer, C. V., Pantile, R., Sánchez, J. A., Schils, T., Silverstein, R. N., Squiers, L. B., … Matz, M. V. (2011). Development of gene expression markers of acute heat-light stress in reef-building corals of the genus Porites. PloS one, 6(10), e26914.