Home
Banner Member Countries

Colombia Blue Schools

Blue School Coordinator: Lizbeth Janet Vivas Aguas

Contact email: janet.vivas@invemar.org.co

Organization/Institution: INVEMAR

Role Position: Jefe Línea Investigación Prevención y Protección de ecosistemas marinos y costeros

Janet Vivas-Aguas_Colombia

Biography

Lizbeth is a researcher with over 20 years of experience in Marine Environmental Quality in Colombia. She holds a degree in Fisheries Engineering and a Master’s in Environmental Sciences. Since 2001, she has worked at INVEMAR, gaining extensive experience in the design and management of research projects. She currently leads the Research Line on Prevention and Protection of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, focusing on assessing impacts and risks from various stressors as a foundation for developing prevention strategies, including environmental awareness and ocean literacy initiatives. She is the author of several scientific publications and, over the past five years, has carried out ocean literacy awareness activities with teachers, environmental leaders, librarians, and children. Through her training as a Blue School coordinator, she aims to enhance her skills in designing and implementing effective ocean literacy programs, expand the reach of current projects, and build stronger partnerships. She also seeks to improve her leadership and coordination abilities to better support teams involved in these initiatives and ensure sustainable progress in promoting ocean culture awareness, while learning from the experiences of others.

Blue Schools currrent status

In Colombia, the main areas of interest in ocean literacy are marine biodiversity, ocean and climate change, plastic pollution and marine debris, coastal protection and resilience, sustainable fisheries, ocean culture and traditional knowledge, and the blue economy. Local NGOs, universities, and other actors are already promoting these themes through self-driven initiatives. While no Blue Schools have yet been formally established, work is underway toward their creation, and teacher training sessions have been conducted to support future implementation.