La Fuerza del Buzo means “The Strength of a Diver”

 

The name of our organization represents the resilience, history, and culture of the fishing communities in northern Patagonia. People have been diving in the Patagonia region for centuries. They are resilient, adaptive people who work in extreme environments, harvesting benthic resources such as sea urchins, loco (false abalone), clams, crabs and octopus. Over 90,000 people in Chile now work as small-scale commercial divers. The region where we work is home to over 30,000 divers whose communities and culture are tied to the harvest of marine resources. Environmental change in combination with risks to public health create unique challenges to securing fishing livelihoods and promoting marine conservation. La Fuerza del Buzo addresses these challenges through a holistic three-prong approach: Public Health, Community Development, and Marine Conservation. We aim to develop a framework for fishing communities around the world.

 
 

Our Team

We are a small team of dedicated, passionate individuals who love the ocean and care about the livelihoods who depend on it. At La Fuerza del Buzo, we recognize the interconnectedness between humans and the marine ecosystem.

 
 
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Sarah Ebel, Director and Co-Founder

Sarah has worked with fishermen in Chile for over a decade. In 2019, she received her Ph.D. in Anthropology and Environmental Policy from the University of Maine and is now an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Idaho State University. As an environmental anthropologist, Sarah specializes in studying environmental governance and marine resource management, adaptation to climate change, and poverty in resource-dependent communities. She is most interested in working collaboratively with resource users to help foster the futures they imagine and is grateful to the communities who have always welcomed her with open arms.

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Maribel Bustamante-Toro, Co-Founder

Maribel was born and raised in the fishing village of Estaquilla on the coast of northern Patagonia. She comes from generations of divers and fishing is in her blood. When not working for La Fuerza del Buzo, Maribel works as a diving supervisor on a salmon aquaculture farm. She is an expert diver and seeks to transfer her knowledge of safe diving practices through the work of La Fuerza del Buzo. She also has been Sarah’s colleague in research from 2014 through the present and has a deep understanding of communities’ needs and the structure of community-based research. She currently lives in northern Patagonia with her family.

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José Molina Hueichán, Community Outreach Coordinator

José is La Fuerza del Buzo’s Secretary and Community Outreach Coordinator and is also a teacher in Carelmapu and a leader of one of Carelmapu’s Indigenous Communities. He has a passion for his community and marine conservation and has been integral to the creation of Indigenous marine protected areas around Carelmapu. La Fuerza del Buzo is grateful for his expertise and guidance in community organizing and program development.

  • Juanita Diaz, Public Health Coordinator

    Juanita is La Fuerza del Buzo’s Public Health Coordinator. She is originally from Ancud and has resided in Carelmapu for most of her life, working as a paramedic. She has been creating and implementing diving accident prevention workshops in the Lakes Region for over 20 years, and now works with La Fuerza del Buzo and her small team to provide workshops. In her time working, she has seen a decline in diving accidents in the communities where she provides workshops. We are excited to have her on board at La Fuerza del Buzo!

  • Jillian Everly, Graduate Student and Intern

    Jillian is a graduate student in Anthropology at Idaho State University. She is working with La Fuerza del Buzo as part of her Master’s degree where she is studying how “sea women” are impacted by global change, particularly by climate change and industrial aquaculture.

  • Michael Torre, Volunteer Scientist

    Michael is one of La Fuerza del Buzo’s volunteer scientists. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science with a focus on marine fisheries in 2019 from the University of Maine. After finishing his degree, he worked with NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Now he works as a bio-statistician in epidemiology but his heart is still at sea! Michael helps La Fuerza del Buzo’s team with statistical modeling of species distribution and development and analysis of public health surveys.

Our Board

  • Elisabeth Maxwell

    Elisabeth is a marine scientist and diving instructor living in Texas, USA. Her background includes work in fisheries management, marine conservation, scientific diving, and science communication.

  • Morey Burnham

    Morey is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Idaho State University. His research is focused on the effects of environmental and social change on people with resource-based livelihoods and adaptation to climate change.

  • John Ebel

    John is a former diver and retired IT consultant. He is working with La Fuerza del Buzo to aid in organizational and fundraising goals.

  • Jessica Reynolds

    Jessica is a social scientist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (Seattle, USA) and has been integral in the development of La Fuerza del Buzo’s strategic plan and stakeholder outreach.

  • José Molina Hueichán

    José is on La Fuerza del Buzo’s board as the Secretary, while also serving as our Community Outreach Coordinator. As a teacher, Indigenous Community leader, and community organizer, José is integral to leading the organization’s vision.