Fundación Mobula
Marine, coastal and island ecosystems
We research, protect and restore the marine biodiversity of the Colombian Caribbean, through science, environmental education and citizen science, alongside the communities who see in the sea an opportunity of life for all.
Who we are
Fundación Mobula is a Colombian non-profit established in 2026. We are based in Santa Marta, at the heart of the Colombian Caribbean.
We combine rigorous scientific research, advanced technology and community work to protect the most vulnerable marine ecosystems: coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and the species that depend on them.
We are young as an organisation, but our team brings years of verifiable experience in marine research and conservation.
Our work
Marine protection through five pillars
Our team
Credibility comes from people. Meet the professionals behind Mobula.
Carlos Espejo
Marine biologist · Ecosystem restoration
Laura Rodríguez
Marine biologist · GIS
César Nates
IT and Artificial Intelligence project management
Karen Pabón
MSc in Marine Resource Management
María Martínez
Specialist in Project Management
Juliana González
Marine biologist · Dive instructor and paramedic
Esteban Andrade
Marine biologist · Marine conservation
marine biology, scientific diving and community work
Jorge Tadeo Lozano · CICIMAR · U. Libre · U. Adventista
all verifiable, with issuing body and year
Marine protected areas · Blue carbon · NOAA strandings · AWARE reefs · PADI instructor · Rescue Diver · AHA life support
from microbiology to spatial analysis
Monitoreo de biodiversidad · Biología marina · Educación ambiental
peer-reviewed, in journals and management plans
Sea turtles · Elasmobranchs · Reef microbiology
Mobula Marine Observatory
Caribbean biodiversity in real time
Search any of the 5,038 species of the Colombian Caribbean and see on the map where it has been recorded, according to OBIS and verified sightings. Coordinates of threatened species are automatically blurred before reaching the public.
- 2.1M
- scientific records (OBIS)
- 5,038
- species, each with its profile
- 124
- threatened species (IUCN)
Support the mission
You can contribute by donating, partnering with the foundation, joining scientific expeditions, or being part of our citizen science network.
Follow what happens underwater
An email every so often: what we find at sea, what we publish in the Observatory, and how your contributions were spent. No filler, and we never sell your address.