Paulita co-founded Sea of Life to champion community-driven conservation across the Caribbean. She is a proud Belizean-American ocean advocate with deep ties to South Florida and Belize City. Her conservation journey began in Belize, where she authored the country’s first research on plastic pollution and spurred a grassroots movement for change. She later joined a NOAA-funded research team in the U.S. Virgin Islands, studying invasive lionfish and collaborating with local fishing communities. After that, she spent over six years at Oceana advancing global policy solutions and she managed a special climate and community project for US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Her work is rooted in the belief that communities hold the key to knowledge and solutions. When not working on SoL she provides senior level advice to NGOs and decision makers and loves to explore the sea with family and friends.

Dassia Regalado is a Belizean environmental advocate, Equine Veterinary Technician, and social entrepreneur. She specializes in equine medicine as a freelancer while pursuing a Master's in Equine Bone Diseases. Dassia is the Program Fellow for Sea of Life and the Communications & Public Relations Lead for the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network.She founded a plastic art project that transforms waste into eco-friendly products, empowering women and youth through sustainable entrepreneurship. With a strong background in wildlife conservation and community engagement, Dassia has worked on crocodile coexistence, marine ecosystems, and mercury contamination in seafood.

Driven by purpose and undeterred by packed schedules, Sasha Machuca has consistently embraced new responsibilities and challenges. In 2023, she joined Sea of Life Caribbean Inc. (SoL) as the Community Liaison for Belize’s first Plastic Solutions Academy, where the mission and vision deeply resonated with her. After two impactful years in this role, she moved across Belize, later returning as Program Manager to lead the expansion of Refillable Campuses to more schools nationwide. Beyond her work with SoL, Sasha has volunteered with the Herbarium of Belize, the Toledo Institute of Development and Environment (TIDE), and the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), contributing to conservation and research efforts. She also serves as the social media content creator for Belize City Animal Aid and works professionally as a Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager. Sasha is committed to living a meaningful life and can always be found where there is a worthwhile cause.

Ishelly Williams is a Programme Specialist, Senior Proposal Writer, and Consultant with over a decade of experience advancing inclusive, community-centered development in Belize. She specializes in strategic project design, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement, with successful grant and program work funded by the U.S. Embassy, European Union, UNHCR, and others. Her portfolio spans education, human rights, climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and youth development.

Renowned for crafting results-driven proposals and guiding community-based organizations, Ishelly has led complex, multisectoral initiatives and serves as a frequent speaker, trainer, and technical advisor. With degrees in Education and English, she blends strong communication, leadership, and analytical skills to drive impact.

Beyond her professional work, she’s a proud wife and mom to two curious, energetic kids, committed to lifelong learning, purposeful living, and building a better Belize—one project (and one bedtime story) at a time.

David is the Field Lead at Sea of Life, which basically means he spend his days chasing plastic data and building connections in the school community. With a BSc in hand and five years in geochemical analysis (plus a stint managing fancy lab instruments), he knows his way around data, precision, and stubborn problems.

David swapped elemental analysis in the lab for mangroves because he believes science belongs in the field, not just the lab. Now, he gets to mix hard facts with muddy boots to tackle marine plastic pollution head-on.

“The ocean is my happy place, and protecting it isn’t just my job—it’s my way of paying rent to the planet. When I’m off duty, I’m probably traveling, hiking, or floating somewhere with a big grin and no Wi-Fi signal."

Having grown up on the ocean to a fishing and farming family in The Bahamas, Natalie holds a deep connection and understanding to local coastal community needs. This deep understanding drives her passion to ensure that communities and ecosystems are healthy for future generations. Natalie received her MSC in International Food and Resource Economics from The University of Florida. Her specialty includes analyses of fishers behavior and entrance into new markets and designing and managing sustainable fisheries projects.

Dr. Holden Earl Harris (he/him), is a postdoctoral researcher and a quantitative natural resource ecologist at the University of Florida's Nature Coast Biological Station, where he helped found and serves on their committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. His current research focuses include invasive species population dynamics and bioeconomics, innovative fisheries gear, science communication, and applying ecosystem models to understand the effects of land-use and climate changes in estuarine and coastal marine communities. His work has been supported with awards from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Guy Harvey Ocean Scholarship, Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, and Melnick Ocean Foundation. Before graduate school, Dr. Harris worked as a SCUBA instructor, dive boat captain, and commercial spearfisher.

Dr Tamarie Rocke is a Belizean medical doctor and global health practitioner with over 8 years experience. She holds an MBBS from the University of the West Indies (2015) and a Masters in International Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Oxford (Trinity College, 2021). During her time as an international antimicrobial resistance consultant at the Pan American Health Organization , she worked in Latin America and the Caribbean to provide technical support to governments on national plans for antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention. She is currently a consultant for the World Health Organization conducting pipeline analysis on novel antibiotics. She is passionate about Belize’s natural and cultural heritage and promotes a solution-based dialogue about plastic waste reduction through her sustainability platform Refillery Co.

Tamara Thomas, Executive Director of Ocean Ties and ocean advisor to the IUCN, brings several years of expertise on Ocean Issues – across several international conventions and relevant fora including the Convention on Biological Diversity; UN Framework on Climate Change; BBNJ; as well as on matters related to seabed mining. Among her previous roles, she served as Director of International Ocean Policy for Conservation International, International Ocean Policy Advisor of the Global Oceans Program at The Nature Conservancy and Advisor to the Chair of the United Nations Preparatory Committee of BBNJ. Ms Thomas aides in the creation of country and international level policy to support integration of marine nature-based solutions and innovative finance approaches and positions them as integral to global development agendas. She holds a masters of environmental management from Yale University and currently serves as Ocean and Ocean-Climate Advisor to The Republic of Seychelles and co-leads, within BBNJ, Area Based Management Tools including Marine Protected Areas and Environmental Impact Assessments within the African Group.

Phil is an independent citizen scientist and ocean advocate, formerly with the World Bank, who has visited Belize annually since 2013 to support management of invasive lionfish, build relationships with Belizean conservation leaders, and participate in the country’s efforts to protect its marine resources.

Secretary for National Fisheries Association of The Bahamas.

Founder of the Om Shanti Belize Meditation Technique and Om Shanti Belize School & Retreat for Yoga & Wellness and Rhythm of Change Belize (ROC).

Founder of Lacy Consulting Services.

Retired from NOAA- Fisheries, establishing the program to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and a capacity building program. Nancy is also a consulting advisor to WildAid.

Atlanta based artist, educator and activist. Her LinkedIn is here.

Commercial fisherman, licensed fisherman, owner is Bahia’s Kitchen restaurant and proud husband and father.

Design Strategist at Emerging Technologies Service Design Network Accredited Educator. Let’s connect.

Sherelle is Founder and CEO of RootWorks, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching, diversity and inclusion

Director of Development at The Action Lab a strategy center for social movements that sparks political and personal liberation.