She studied Biology at Universidad Ricardo Palma. From 1995-1997 worked IMARPE, as the marine mammal coordinator. In 1995, she co-founded the NGO Pro Delphinus. Her research focuses on marine conservation and small-scale fisheries. In July 2001 she became a Global fellow at the Duke Marine Laboratory. Since 2002 Joanna has continued to work as Pro Delphinus President, extending its work to other marine species including seabirds, sharks and marine otters. Joanna obtained her PhD at University of Exeter, UK in 2012. Also in 2012, received the Whitley Award for Nature, in 2015 she received the Marsh Award for Marine Conservation Leadership in Latin America. In 2016 Joanna became President of the International Sea Turtle Society. She is also member of the IUCN Specialist Groups of Cetaceans, Turtles, Otters, Sharks and Signatids. In 2020, she received the Conservation Award Carlos Ponce as Artifice de la Conservacion. Joanna is a Faculty Member of Universidad Científica del Sur, where she continues to mentor the new generation of Peruvian marine researchers. She has also co-advised MSc students from Exeter Conservation Masters Programme. Joanna has authored and collaborated on over hundred and fifty peer reviewed publications on Peruvian aquatic biodiversity in collaboration with the international research community.

Dr. Fernando Elorriaga is a full-time professor at the Interdisciplinary Center for Marine Sciences of the National Polytechnic Institute (CICIMAR-IPN) in La Paz, Mexico. His work and experience focus particularly on the ecology of pinnipeds found on Mexican islands such as Guadalupe, San Benito, and others along the Gulf of California. In addition, he collaborates with other research groups, strengthening lines of work that focus on other marine species. During his career, he has published, as lead author or co-author, more than 130 scientific articles in international journals, and he has been the main thesis advisor of approximately 45 students. From 2012 to 2018, he was Coordinator of the Mexican Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and from 2018 to 2021, he served as President of the Mexican Society of Marine Mammalogy (SOMEMMA). Today, he is member of the IUCN SSC Pinniped Specialist Group, and he is part of the scientific advisory committee of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM).

Dr. Laura J. May-Collado is a Costa Rican evolutionary biologist whose research explores the evolution of acoustic communication in marine mammals. Born and raised in Costa Rica, she earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology from the University of Costa Rica and her Ph.D. in Biology from Florida International University. Her research focuses on characterizing the vocal repertoires of toothed whales to investigate their phylogenetic and ecological determinants, as well as their role in the rapid diversification of odontocetes. By integrating phylogenetics, bioacoustics, and behavioral ecology, Dr. May-Collado works with collaborators to build a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of acoustic communication in whales. In addition to her research, she serves as Chair of the Committee of Scientific Advisors for the Society for Marine Mammalogy and as a member of the Marine Mammal Commission’s Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals. She is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and a founding member of Panacetacea, a non-governmental organization that supports marine mammal research and professional development in Panama and Central America. Through these roles—and over a 30-year career in teaching and research—Dr. May-Collado has advanced understanding of Central American marine mammals while training students from across the region and beyond.