2008 Global Fellows

Monica Arso (Spain) monica.arso@gmail.com

Monica graduated from the University of Barcelona with a degree in Biology, specializing in Zoology, Ecology, and Marine Biology. Her internships studying dolphins and sperm whales have given her a lot of field experience on board research vessels. Currently she is working as a science educator on board the Vell Mari. She hopes to gain a better background in marine policy by participating in the Global Fellows program.

Robin Coleman (Belize) rcoleman@wcs.org

Robin grew up in Belize, but ventured to both Canada and England to complete her undergraduate and doctoral degrees. She has worked in Belize as the Science and Stewardship director at the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, and most recently as the Assistant Coordinator  for the Belize Marine Program. She monitors projects at the Glover’s Reef Atoll, an important habitat for many marine organisms. Her experiences at the Duke Marine Lab will contribute to her role in protecting sea turtles at the atoll.

Asha de Vos (Sri Lanka) asha.devos@lincoln.oxon.org

Asha’s experiences at the University of St. Andrew’s led her to the field of Marine and Environmental Biology and gave her a strong awareness for conservation research and policy. She has worked extensively with marine mammals, and she currently works for the IUCN on several aspects of marine and environmental management. Asha is participating in the Global Fellows program to remain committed to growing as a researcher and policy-maker.

Supraja Dharini (India) treefoundation2002@yahoo.com

Supraja founded the TREE Foundation (Trust for Environment Education, Conservation, and Community Development) in 2001, being inspired by the example of Dr. Jane Goodall’s National Geographic program. The TREE Foundation focuses on conservation of the Olive Ridley turtle in India. It combines volunteer efforts and community participation to protect thousands of turtle hatchlings on Indian beaches. Supraja wants to bring her knowledge and ideas gained at Duke back to her country to enhance its turtle conservation efforts.

Victoria Gonzalez Carman (Argentina) vgcarman@gmail.com

Victoria has a degree in Biology from Buenos Aires University, and is currently conducting post graduate research there. She has worked in the field with both marine mammals and sea turtles. She now studies juvenile green sea turtles in Argentina, and is attending the Global Fellows program to incorporate the concepts she learns here in her research.

Mohammed Hannan (Bangladesh) savethenaturebd@yahoo.com

Mohammed has studied marine mammals and currently works as a Wildlife Biodiversity Conservation Officer for the government of Bangladesh. He has previously studied the Ganges River dolphin as a research assistant with colleagues at the University of Chittagong. He hopes to learn more about sustainable fishing and marine conservation in his time at Duke.

Zahirul Islam (Bangladesh) marinelife_al@yahoo.com

Zahirul completed his Bachelor and Master’s degrees at the Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh. He is interested in ecosystem and habitat ecology, and he has researched sea turtles and marine mammals. Zahirul worked with several NGOs before founding Marine Life Alliance, an organization that works on sea turtle conservation, education, and awareness building. He hopes to take his experiences at the Global Fellows program back to Bangladesh to enhance sea turtle and marine mammal conservation in that country.

Luciana Motta (Argentina) elgris81@hotmail.com

Lucy received a Master's degree in Biology from the University of Buenos Aires, with a specialization in aquatic biology.  As a student, she volunteered for a condor captive breeding program and later interned at the marine mammal lab in the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Buenos Aires.  Ms. Motta has also worked for the Franciscana Dolphin Conservation Project as a fisheries observer to help reduce dolphin bycatch in coastal gillnets.  During this period, she trained at Mote Marine Lab's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.  She currently works as a guide for the Museum of Natural Sciences, teaching elementary and high school students.  Last November, she worked as a naturalist on a cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula.  Her goal as a global fellow is to study scientific approaches to conservation biology.