Gabriela Ochoa is a marine biologist and conservationist who combines science, policy, and community engagement to shift perceptions of sharks and promote sustainable fishing practices in coastal communities in Honduras. In 2020, she founded a non-profit called “ilili,” which means shark in the native Miskito language, one of the indigenous communities she works with. Ilili is the first Honduran-led non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through the lens of sharks and rays. The organization’s Honduran staff is leading research to inform shark conservation and management. From establishing the first shark fisheries baseline, to working with the Fisheries Department to promote legislations that support fishers to launching citizen science initiatives, ilili is building a new model of marine conservation in Honduras guided by local traditional knowledge. Their work is filling critical gaps and inspiring the new generation of shark champions in Honduras and the region. Gabriela has also been a fellow of the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) program and the Conservation Leadership Program (CLP). Gabriela graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in marine biology and received a master’s in conservation and biodiversity from the University of Exeter in England. She is also a PhD student at Florida International University at the Predator Ecology and Conservation Lab, looking to understand movements of sharks across the Mesoamerican Reef, which includes Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Expertise
Sharks and Rays, Mesoamerican Reef, Honduras, Marine Science and Policy, Community Engagement, Sustainable Fisheries, Integrating Traditional Knowledge, Collaboration with Indigenous Communities, Citizen Science
Affiliations
- PhD Student, Predator Ecology and Conservation Lab at Florida International University
Awards and Fellowships
- Fellow, Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) Program
- Fellow, Conservation Leadership Program (CLP)
