Name: Marcia Chevannes Creary

Age: 53

Academic background: PhD (ongoing); MPhil, Marine Sciences; postgraduate diploma, Management Studies; and a BSc, Zoology.

Organisation: Centre for Marine Sciences (CMS), University of the West Indies.

Responsibilities: Environmental data manager, Caribbean Coastal Data Centre; negotiate and supervise the implementation of projects and MOUs undertaken by CMS and prepare project reports as required; conduct data processing, analysis, archiving and report preparation; liaise with personnel in local, regional and international institutions for the execution of projects and the acquisition of data; and deliver lectures and conduct training in coastal management and coral reef monitoring as required.

Years in the sector: 30

Reason for service to the sector: I am fascinated by the environment and how it is able to provide us, seemingly with little effort, with the goods and services that we need to live. I feel that it is important to determine how these natural systems work so that we can learn to exist in harmony with the environment. We are at a point in time when we are more informed than ever about environmental issues and the potential solutions. The provision of data and information is an important component in the realisation of innovative alternatives to our “business as usually” approach in dealing with the environment. We do have the opportunity to achieve a prosperous future within the boundaries of a healthy, functioning environment if we learn to work with the natural systems instead of against them.

Preservation tip: Each of us impact the environment by the choices we make on a daily basis, therefore, we should be very mindful of our choices.