TEAM
MERI Foundation carries out scientific research and environmental education, in partnership with communities, at the service of the conservation of strategic ecosystems in Chile and the world.
Sonia Español-Jiménez
Executive Director
Graduate in Marine Sciences from the University of Cadiz, Spain, Master in Renewable Energies and PhD in Marine Biology from the Universidad Austral de Chile.
Specialized in marine mammals, mainly in the study of the identification, distribution and behavior of whales through their sounds. She has been the creator and director of the emblematic project of international impact, The Blue BOAT Initiative, aimed at reducing the threats of noise and collisions of cetaceans, through the regulation of maritime traffic.
Highly committed to the effective conservation of ecosystems for the mitigation of climate change and sustainable development. In the foundation she articulates projects aimed at strengthening scientific research and environmental education throughout Chile, for the protection of flagship species such as high Andean flamingos, condors in the Central Valley and whales in Northern Patagonia.
After living in Chile for 10 years, he moved to Spain where he has shown a high level of experience in linking communities at national and international level for the development of scientific initiatives of impact and multi-sectoral interest, combining the will of the public and private sectors to find solutions to the climate crisis.
His work includes the characterization of the sounds of the sei whale in Chile and the Falkland Islands; the study of humpback whale songs in breeding areas in Ecuador and in their feeding grounds in Chile, and the characterization of the residence patterns and home range of the Chilean dolphin in Northern Patagonia, among others.