Dr. Gabby Ahmadia is Vice President of Area-Based Conservation for the Oceans program at WWF-US, overseeing seascapes, fisheries, blue forest, and science teams that work together to inform integrated approaches in priority regions across the Arctic, Eastern Pacific, Western Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific. Dr. Ahmadia has experience working with teams across the globe; she initially got her feet ‘wet’ in the conservation world working with local scientists in Indonesia to develop and implement social and ecological monitoring programs, before expanding to support broader community-based conservation across the Indo-Pacific and Western Indian Ocean.

Gabby is an established multi-disciplinary expert, with over 60 scientific articles related to oceans conservation published throughout her career; ranging from describing species to social and ecological impacts of marine conservation. Over the span of her career, Gabby has been focused on inclusive conservation approaches—ensuring that underrepresented voices are informing conservation solutions.

Gabby was lucky enough to grow up in Hilo, Hawaii sparking her interest in the oceans from a very early age. She may or may not have a tattoo of a turtle.