Ana is a communications professional from Brazil, bringing with her more than 12 years of experience working at the United Nations and alongside NGOs focusing on international development. The ocean has been Ana’s greatest passion since she started diving as a teenager and it eventually brought her to UC San Diego, where she is part of the Master of Advanced Studies, Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Ana is working with the Human Ecology Lab for her Capstone Project on a climate vulnerability assessment of coastal cultural heritage in Puerto Rico, focused on a participatory approach that prioritises the perspectives of local stakeholders. Before coming to UCSD, Ana worked as Communications & Knowledge Management Specialist at the Small Grants Programme, a flagship initiative of the Global Environment Facility implemented by the UN Development Program that supports community-based projects to address environmental issues while improving livelihoods. Prior to that, Ana held similar positions at the International Labour Organization and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Brazil, and at international development NGOs in the United Kingdom. She holds a MSc in Media, Communication and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in Journalism as well.