She is a second year Ph.D Student on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and a Ph.D Designated Emphasis on Coastal Science and Policy at the same university (UCSC). She is a passionate practitioner and highly engaged researcher, convinced that an economic system respectful of social and conservation issues is the key solution for the sustainable development in developing countries. Her research focuses on the importance of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) in reducing poverty in least developing countries. Poverty is a major problem in small-scale fisheries around the world especially in developing countries where Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) are well developed. To accelerate and improve the growth and management of LMMA as a powerful conservation tool, we need to know under what conditions LMMAs have important impacts on reducing poverty in local fishing communities, so that these communities can quickly be vetted for LMMA creation and assisted towards better management options. Despite the rapid development of LMMAs around the world, there is a lack of research on both the biological and social impacts of LMMA on the managing and surrounding communities. Yet, how much these LMMAs are contributing to reducing poverty in developing countries is a pending question that she will study for the coming years for her Ph.D research project. She worked for Conservation International Madagascar for ten (10) years, where I was in charge of managing the Marine Conservation Program and the development of Marine Policy. Through her research and her publications on Nature, Science, or PNAS, she committed to find integrated solutions to achieve a social development that promotes natural resources management and considerably alleviates poverty. She particularly appreciates snorkeling, hiking and exploring Madagascar’s forests.