I am Saba Bank National Park Officer & Science Coordinator at Saba Conservation Foundation. I graduated in Coastal Marine Management with expertise in marine biology and ecology. My passion was triggered during my first dive experience at the Great Barrier Reef. It was a turning point for me, and a motivation to become a specialist in this field. My expertise and competencies are to act as a mediator between and/or as a scientist with many different stakeholders, as a project manager by leading or participating in (international) projects, project coordinator by directing the execution of interactive policy development and decision-making within projects. Finally, as an applied researcher by setting up, executing and reporting coastal and marine research. All researches and projects I have managed were carried out for the local Municipal and Governmental authorities, as well as non-governmental organizations. For which I acquired knowledge and understanding of the (local)management and conservation of biodiversity in tropical marine ecosystems within the Caribbean. Today I am located in Saba, Dutch Caribbean and I am proudly working as a science coordinator and manager to protect the third largest atoll of its kind in the world, and the largest of the Atlantic Ocean. This year I set up my first project on invasive species and managed to set up two shark tagging programs with great international partners.
Day 4 The team has reached the fourth day of the expedition, and we are all going strong with the data collection for the Saba Bank. Through rough weather, high waves, currents, rain and strong gusts of wind, it does not hold us back to the dives to collect data….
