Costa Rica Blue Schools

Blue School Coordinator: Ilena Zanella

Contact email: izanella@misiontiburon.org

Organization/Institution: Misión Tiburón

Role Position: Directora

 

Biography

Ilena Zanella is a marine biologist and holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Management and Conservation from the National University of Costa Rica. She is the co-founder and executive director of Misión Tiburón, an NGO founded in 2009 with the goal of promoting research, management, and conservation of sharks and marine life in our oceans. Misión Tiburón carries out educational activities for youth to raise awareness about ocean conservation, workshops with fishermen to promote sustainable fishing practices, and training with government institutions to strengthen monitoring and protection programs.

Ilena, together with her partner Andrés López, led a shark conservation project in Golfo Dulce that, in 2018, resulted in the creation of Costa Rica’s first shark sanctuary, the Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary. In 2019, Ilena was nominated as a Blue Spot Champion by the international organization Mission Blue and received the Whitley Award. She is also a fellow of the Ocean Leaders program at the University of Edinburgh.

 

Blue Schools currrent status

In Costa Rica, the main areas of interest in ocean literacy are marine biodiversity and marine protected areas. Local actors involved include the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, the National System of Conservation Areas, the National University, the University of Costa Rica, NGOs, and private companies. The program is currently supporting three schools in working toward Blue School recognition, reaching approximately 650 students. Teacher trainings and capacity-building activities have included two workshops on Ocean Culture with about 80 teachers, as well as an ongoing Ocean Culture program for students in the three schools, which involves four annual visits to each institution, support for community projects, and special educational activities on occasions such as Wetlands Day, Oceans Day, and Mangrove Day.

 

Instagram: Click here