Dalia Barragán Barrera, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I’m a Marine Biologist with a PhD in Biological Sciences. I’m a native of Bogotá in Colombia (not Columbia). My first passion was whales (I had watched the “Free Willy” movie!), but when I discovered that killer whales are indeed dolphins, I was captivated by these small cetaceans. Therefore, my work has been focused on conservation, distribution, ecotoxicology, and genetics of marine mammals, as well as environmental education and science divulgation.

What keeps you going?

My daughter Martina and my nieces María José and Ana Sofía, not only because they are girls, but also because they are children living in a developing country like Colombia. For them, I continue working, and although currently I don’t have a position, I plan to be a professor or work in the government, to try to support young students to be whatever they want to be.

What’s your message to the world?

All people have the same right to live in a better world and be whatever they want to be. All aspirations are valid, but we need the same conditions to achieve the dreams. Therefore, we must try to whatever we can – that can be small actions, such as being respectful with ourselves and others (including nature), voting well to demand health, food, education and environmental protection, among other fundamental rights. One candle can make a difference, because we will be millions of candles demanding and doing equity in the world.