I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and by the age of five I knew I wanted to become a marine biologist some day. When I was twelve years old, in front of a shark tank at an aquarium in Charlotte, North Carolina I realized that I specifically wanted to dedicate my life to shark research. I was lucky to be able to pursue my passion, and in 2012 I received a degree in Biology (B.S) from Duke University.

 

Upon completing my studies, I was hired as a research assistant at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, where I was first introduced to fisheries research, a topic that would change my path forever. Armed with a love for sharks and an urge to learn about small-scale and sustainable fisheries, I completed my doctoral studies in the Heithaus Lab at Florida International University.

 

My Ph D focused on gathering baseline data on coastal small-scale fishing communities and coral reef sharks and rays, in 5 areas of the Caribbean Sea: Colombia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Tobago and Florida Keys.

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I am a biologist, an ecologist, a shark researcher, a female scientist. I am Colombian, I am Argentinian and I am American. A writer and an artist, I have my feet in the ground but my head in the clouds. I am a dreamer, an idealist and a surrealist. I am a conservationist, and an activist. I fight for the rights to learn and communicate science, for the rights to have clean air and water, for the rights to a healthy ocean and a healthy planet.

 

I fight for animal rights and human rights.

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