Lisa Detanna, Managing Director and Senior Vice President, Investments at Raymond James along with her team the Global Wealth Solutions Group recently hosted a special event, for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, scientist Mary Hagedorn.

A diverse group of people were in attendance, including Jennifer Walston-Johnson, Smithsonian National Board Member, Wendy Block, Smithsonian's National Zoo Advisory Board Member, Smithsonian coral supporters Rod and Heidi Roddenberry of the Roddenberry Foundation, philanthropist Mathew Frank and representatives of the entertainment industry, business, students and artists learned how Hagedorn and her team are cryopreserving - or freezing - coral sperm and stem cells.

Twenty-five percent of all ocean life lives on coral reefs at some point, but the reefs are disappearing said Institute scientist Mary Hagedorn. She and her team are using the latest technology to save coral species from extinction. The process they developed to freeze them is very similar to methods used in human sperm banks. If coral goes extinct, the genetic material that they freeze could potentially be used hundreds of years from now to repopulate oceans with coral.

Creating a frozen bank of coral sperm and stem cells is no easy task and has taken Hagedorn and her team around the world. Most species of coral spawns for only a few nights each year in the summer. The SCBI team has to be in place and ready for the spawn of each species they plan to collect. They traveled the world banking sperm from endangered corals from Hawaii, the Caribbean, Belize and to Australia.

"It was a pleasure to host the event for the Smithsonian," said Lisa Detanna, Senior Vice President, Investments and Managing Director of Raymond James. "It was fascinating to see a room of really smart people learn so much. I think we were all inspired by what Mary is trying to accomplish for corals, not to mention the economic impact for business and humans."

If you wish to contact Lisa Detanna to learn more about Raymond James or to discuss your current accounts, she can be contacted at 888.900.1311 or Lisa.Detanna@RaymondJames.com. Raymond James is opening a new office in March 2014 -- located at 9595 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 300, in Beverly Hills, CA.

About Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Raymond James Financial (NYSE-RJF) is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through its subsidiary companies. Its three principal wholly owned broker/dealers, Raymond James & Associates, Raymond James Financial Services and Raymond James Ltd., have approximately 6,300 financial advisors serving over 2 million accounts in 2,600 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are approximately $390 billion, of which approximately $43 billion are managed by the firm's asset management subsidiaries.

Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Courtney Kershaw, 213-327-1041
Courtney.Kershaw@Raymondjames.com