From Ecuador to the Arctic, Laura-Maria Martinez has spent more than two decades studying the oceans. After a master’s project on lobsters’ genetics in the Galápagos Islands, she completed a PhD on sunburned whales in Mexico, followed by a postdoc in ethnobiology on walruses in the Canadian Arctic. She also earned a DESS in journalism in Montreal, where she now lives. She then divided her time between Arctic research in partnership with Inuit communities, science communication and journalism. Since November 2024, Laura has brought that same energy and curiosity to the MEOPAR team as Program Manager in Knowledge Mobilization. In her spare time, Laura trains in capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, and is always up for an outdoor adventure.