Susana Cárdenas Díaz

Susana Cárdenas, with a Ph.D. in Ecology and a Master's in Natural Resource Economics from the University of California (United States), is the Co-Director of the Institute of Applied Ecology at the University San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador). Alongside her role as a full-time professor and researcher, Dr. Cárdenas integrates ecological, socio-economic, and environmental policy issues to contribute to sustainable resource management and conservation. Her research spans tourism economics, visitor management methodologies, and biodiversity monitoring in island ecosystems and protected areas, as well as topics like blue economy and financial mechanisms for marine conservation. With over 15 years of research experience, Dr. Cárdenas has been influential in projects impacting the creation of the Hermandad Marine Reserve in the Galápagos Islands.