Amba Concheso

I grew up in Miami and Spain, during my time in the former my love and appreciation for the marine environment was cemented. In Spain, as a result of having witnessed firsthand how the effects of coastal development, poor sewage management, and overfishing have changed the landscape I have grown up in, I have been active with our local NGO Ecologistas Sin Accion to tackle these numerous issues in Cadiz. I have also been an active member of Surfers Against Sewage in the UK, helping promote our campaigns and organise/lead litter cleanups.In university I wrote my thesis on how to balance socioeconomic goals with ecological objectives in the governance of Marine Protected Areas (from an international policy perspective). I studied a variety of modules in King's College London, LSE and UCL covering the governance of protected areas and political ecology. I also recently finished a Marine Protected Areas course offered by the IUCN which has further enhanced my knowledge of the field.Professionally, I have worked with the Mexican Embassy as a Global Climate and Marine Policy Intern, researching and produced reports on coastal and marine data policy (including GHG maritime emissions) along with analysis of Mexican fisheries legislation and management. I currently am a sustainability consultant for Sofies, a consultancy specialised in a range of environmental topics and am working on expanding our projects, given my passion for the ocean, into matters related to blue economy such as management of fishing gear waste, blue carbon, sustainable fisheries etc.