Monica ESPINOZA MIRALLES

As Head of Global Fishing Watch’s programmatic work in Latin America, Mónica Espinoza Miralles leads engagement with governments and other vital partners across the region to advance ocean governance and help improve management decisions of marine resources. For the past decade, Espinoza Miralles has been using her passion for the ocean to support nongovernmental organizations dedicated to coastal and marine environment research, and towards the development of sustainable management actions for conservation strategies.

Born and raised in Costa Rica, Mónica has long been dedicated to ocean conservation. Her career spans collaborations with NGOs, government agencies, and academic institutions across Latin America and beyond. She specializes in integrating open-access data systems and regulatory frameworks to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and to support marine biodiversity goals such as the 30x30 initiative. Her work blends technical expertise with an understanding of the socio-ecological dynamics that shape marine conservation across the region.

She holds a master’s degree in Marine Spatial Planning from the Università Iuav di Venezia, the University of Seville, and the University of the Azores, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from the Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica.