Jessica Anayansi García Pantoja

Jessica Anayansi García Pantoja, 27, is a graduate in oceanology from the Autonomous University of Baja California in Mexico. She is passionate about diving and studying underwater ecosystems. Her love for the sea began in childhood, spending days jumping on waves during family camping trips to the coast. She is fascinated by kelp forest ecosystems and seagrass meadows and is highly interested in the ecological and biological dynamics of the marine environment as well as the impact of human activities and climate change.

Jessica is thrilled to be selected as the 2023 Dr. Lee H. Somers AAUS Scientific Diving Intern. This internship will provide her with the opportunity to combine her passion for diving with her desire to advance marine conservation in Mexico. Jessica has worked on multiple diving projects in Baja California, such as monitoring campaigns, sample collections for mesocosm experiments, installation and maintenance of oceanographic sensors, and video and photography transects. In addition to scuba diving, she has completed other ocean-related courses and certifications, including free diving, rescue swimming, and marine navigation.

Jessica's long-term vision is to base her academic and professional career in scientific diving and use it in different projects to advance marine conservation in Mexico. She hopes to inspire other women to pursue leadership roles in marine science and conservation in Mexico.