I received my Erasmus Mundus MSc in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the University of Ghent, Belgium and a training scholarship from the Center of Excellence in Observational Oceanography at the Alfred Wegner Institute in Germany.
Through my organization, we've lobbied for a local agreement to protect 260 ha of mangrove forests across the Philippines. I also engage citizen science in merging technology and mangrove and seagrass monitoring through the National Geographic Explorere grant. With more than a decade of experience in coastal management and marine conservation, I've led various community-based mangrove restoration projects, facilitated alternative livelihood to communities, and engaged more than 7000 young people in ocean conservation. Additionally, I've spoken about community-based restoration and conservation in UNFCCC COP26, UN Ocean Conference, and COP28 and the role of young people in nature-based solutions.