Yasmin QUINTANA

Dr. Yasmin Quintana is a fisheries scientist, ecologist, and conservation biologist with over a decade of experience working across academic, governmental, non-governmental, and international institutions. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Conservation Biology from Texas A&M University, an M.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Ecology with a concentration in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida, and a B.Sc. in Biology from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. 

She currently serves as the manager of the Center for Species Survival: Freshwater at Shedd Aquarium in partnership with the IUCN Species Survival Commission. In this role, she leads multi-country initiatives to protect threatened freshwater species in Central America, builds partnerships with governments, NGOs, and scientists, and develops capacity-building programs to strengthen regional conservation networks. She is also a member of the  IUNC SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, where she has contributed to developing important efforts for freshwater conservation in Mesoamerica. 

Her work focuses on the ecology, conservation, and management of aquatic ecosystems, with emphasis on inland fish ecology, small-scale fisheries, and fisheries management. She has led and co-led multiple research projects examining fish assemblages and their environmental drivers, invasive species, and fisheries management across diverse freshwater and estuarine systems. She has done work in Guatemala, Texas, and Florida in the U.S. , and Equatorial Guinea (continental region).

Previously, she served as a Biological Scientist and then as a Wildlife Director at the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) in Guatemala, where she contributed to the development of the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (Resolution 01-16-2012) and advised the Executive Secretary on key topics, including the designation of Pacific Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the implementation of projects supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Recognized as one of Crain’s Chicago Business 2024 Notable Latino Leaders and recipient of the Illustrious Guatemalan Award in Science (2023), Dr. Quintana is a committed advocate for freshwater biodiversity, bridging science, policy, and conservation action at national, regional, and global levels.