Meet SOA's Deep-Sea Delegation for the ISA 29th Session Part II

From July 15 to August 2, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and its members are convening in Kingston, Jamaica for the 29th Session Council & Assembly Meetings to continue negotiations on deep-sea mining regulations and the mining code, picking up where they left off at the close of the March 2024 meetings.

This month's meetings at the ISA are particularly critical. In addition to negotiations on the mining regulations, there will also be an election for a new Secretary-General of the ISA. This election will be paramount for the future trajectory of the ISA. Additionally, for the first time in the ISA’s history, a discussion on the need for a General Policy on the "protection and preservation of the marine environment" is on the agenda. 

As official Observers at the ISA and the first youth-led organization to gain Observer status, SOA will be leading a robust delegation to advocate alongside our allies and partners against deep-sea mining.

Below, get to know the ocean champions who are representing SOA at this month's ISA meeting.

SOA's Deep-Sea Delegation, ISA 29th Session II

SOA Team Members

Daniel Cáceres Bartra, SOA Regional Representative for Hispanoamerica (Perú) — Head of Delegation

Daniel is SOA's Regional Representative for Hispanoamerica. He is a marine biologist, PADI Dive Instructor, member of the Explorers Club, and Peace Boat Ambassador. 

Over the last few years, Daniel has led SOA's deep-sea mining campaign in Latin America and assisted in the past six ISA meetings, leading successful strategies to influence countries in Latin America to join the call for a moratorium and amplifying the deep-sea mining discussion in his region.

Daniel has also been a delegate for the Our Ocean Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023 and a member of the official Peruvian delegation for the UN Climate Change Conference COP 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, and 28. He was part of the French delegation for the Montreal Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15 CBD) and an Observer at BBNJ and the International Seabed Authority.

Daniel has won many awards for his work in ocean conservation, including the Earth Champion Award by Population Matters, the National Hreljac Medal by the Peruvian Institute for Sustainability and Development (IPSD), and is considered one of the 100 Most Committed Latinos in Climate Action by Forbes Peru.

Shannon Cosentino-Roush, SOA Global Policy Advisor (U.S.) — Delegation Policy Advisor
Currently, Shannon serves as the Global Policy Advisor at SOA, guiding the organization’s strategy for global campaigns and direct policy engagement.

Shannon has over 15 years of experience, working both in the U.S. and internationally, as an ocean policy, legal, and technical expert. She has held positions within the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington D.C., as well as international consultancies across Europe, Asia, and Africa, global NGOs, and the private sector, serving on the leadership team of an ocean and climate tech startup.

Shannon holds a B.S. in Political Science from Santa Clara University and a J.D. and Master in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School.

Eugénia Barroca, SOA Regional Representative for Europe & Lusofonia (Portugal) — Delegation Strategy Lead for Europe

Eugénia is SOA’s Regional Representative for Europe & Lusofonia. Over the last eleven years, she has played an active role in several environmental projects in national and international organizations. In 2022, she was named ‘Hero of the Sea’ by Portugal’s President of the Republic, Dr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Eugénia has been advocating to protect the deep sea from mining since 2019, supporting diverse actions and projects in several countries. She supported the creation of the first SOA street mural in the world, completed during the 2022 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Lisbon, which connects the thousands of people who pass by daily with the petition for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. Her active voice through several governmental meetings, protests, panels, and media interviews, supported Portugal's government to take a stance to defend a precautionary pause on this destructive industry, and now she continues to fight for other European and Lusofone countries to be on the right side of history. 

Eugénia has a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Algarve and is currently studying for a Master’s in Applied Marine Biology at the University of Aveiro.

Jessica Newfield, SOA Senior Program Consultant (U.S. / France) — Delegation Director of Deep-Sea Mining Masterclass

Jessica is a climate policy and community-building consultant. She holds a Master's of Public Affairs from UC Berkeley and has a diverse background working with government agencies, innovation hubs, startups, and small to large-scale nonprofits in 20+ countries.

At SOA, she manages the Global Mentorship Program of 350+ mentors and is leading the design of a capacity-building course for SOA’s campaign against deep-sea mining to support the training of SOA young ocean leaders in key skills of coalition building, strategic communications, and grassroots campaigning.

This year, Jessica also served as the Project Lead for the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit, bringing together 100 youth from over 43 countries. 

Some of her past projects include building a design and research firm called FutureProof Studio that works with innovation ecosystems to facilitate participatory design of climate adaptation and community development projects. Her prior clients include WWF, MIT D-Lab, and UNDP Mexico.

SOA Hub Leaders & Members

Stefanie Torres, President of SOA Perú — Delegation Strategy Lead for Latin America

Stefanie is the President of SOA Perú and holds a Bachelor's degree in Marine Biology. She has led projects promoting marine conservation through ocean literacy, youth leadership, activism, and advocacy at national and regional levels.

At SOA Perú, she's led campaigns to raise awareness about the impacts of deep-sea mining. This includes the creation of a children's book, training programs for Latin American young leaders, collecting petition signatures, sending letters, and mobilizing young people through social media, all contributing to Perú's statement favoring a moratorium.

Stefanie has participated in international ocean-climate conferences like UNOC 2022, COP27, COP28, COP19 CITES, Our Ocean Conference 2023 and 2024, and the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference.

Carlos Andrés Silva, Climate Change Director of SOA Perú — Delegation Council Meeting Coordinator

Since 2017, Carlos has been a dedicated ocean activist, inspired by his studies in marine biology to address the pressing issues facing our ocean. As the Climate Change Director of SOA Perú, he has organized numerous events focused on climate change, ocean literacy, biodiversity, and youth leadership.

In recent years, Carlos has actively participated in international conferences, including UNOC 2022, COP27, and COP28. He proudly represented Perú at the 2022 UNOC Youth and Innovation Forum as one of the 150 youth selected globally. In 2021, he was invited by the PRME Working Group on Climate Change and Environment to serve as a panelist in the framework of COP26, where he shared his insights on the ‘Carbon Literacy Training’.

Additionally, he contributed to the Global University Climate Forum in both 2021 and 2022, organized by Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively.

Adenike Adeiga, Hub Leader of SOA Nigeria — Delegation Strategy Lead for Africa

Adenike is the Hub Leader of SOA Nigeria and a seasoned conservationist who has devoted most of her working years to protecting environmental resources through research, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. She has worked with and inspired environment ambassadors to take positive actions against irreversible environmental changes like climate change and other natural disasters nationally and internationally.

Adenike is passionate about achieving Sustainable Development Goal SDG14 (‘Life Below Water’) and is currently working on projects in line with SDG14 while taking into account human interactions and behavior with natural ecosystems.

Adenike is very interested in core aspects of environmental conservation, which include policies and inclusion. In and outside conservation projects, she is a skilled and experienced people manager with an uncanny ability to inspire her teams to maximize productivity.

Catalina Reyes-Vargas, Hub Leader of SOA Colombia — Delegation Strategy Advisor for Non-UNCLOS Members

Catalina is a Colombian biologist and microbiologist specializing in marine affairs. She holds a postgraduate degree in Public Policy and a Master's in International Relations. Her research focuses on ocean-based climate solutions and the economic analysis of the law of deep-sea mining. She is developing her thesis to establish the financial incentives behind the possible exploitation of minerals in the deep sea by analyzing current legal rules and institutions. 

She is a former International Negotiator for Ocean Affairs and International Trade of Endangered Species at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia. As an experienced negotiator, Catalina prepared many statements to promote Colombia’s participation in instances like the ISA Assembly, BBNJ negotiations, and regional initiatives, among others. 

Catalina is the Founder and Executive Coordinator of Ocean Hub Colombia, a UNESCO-endorsed project within the framework of the UN Ocean Decade. She has attended international events such as UN CBD, UNFCCC, CITES conferences, UN models, scientific congresses, and youth meetings. 

She co-leads SOA Colombia and is recognized as one of the best environmental content creators in Latin America by TikTok and UNEP thanks to her sci-comm project, @elestuario.

Stephania Añazco Rivera, Hub Member of SOA Guayas & Ecuador National Coordinator of The Oxygen Project (Ecuador) — Delegation Communications Lead

Stephania is a thesis student of Oceanographic Engineering at ESPOL in Ecuador. For the past three years, she has actively contributed to both local and international organizations as a member, leader, and advocate for ocean conservation, sustainability, and climate action. Currently, Stephania serves as the National Coordinator in Ecuador for The Oxygen Project and is a member of SOA Guayas in Ecuador.

She is an active member of the ISO Environment Management Youth Leadership Group, an extern with the National Geographic Society and the Nature Conservancy, and the leader of Guayaquil Nativo, a project developed under the Global Shapers Guayaquil Hub. 

Her leadership and involvement in both local and international arenas have endowed her with a mission to advocate for ocean conservation and restoration, while also working towards enhancing the relationship between human beings and the ocean.

Civil Society & Partners

Mario Gomez, Founder & Director of Beta Diversidad (Mexico) — Delegation Advisor for Latin America

For three decades, Mario has dedicated all of his efforts to designing and implementing public policies in Mexico and some other countries in the world, as well as promoting the designation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as international references on how conservation should be done. Early in his career, he was part of the team that created CONANP (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas) in Mexico. Now he is a specialist in designing public policies for the Conservation of the Oceans.

As the Founder & Director of Beta Diversidad and Board member of FOMARES, CODEMAR, and Equilibrio, Mario plays an important role in the implementation of the projects all of these organizations bring to life with the objective of protecting our planet. 

Kyle Foster, Deep-Sea Biology Student & Journalist (Barbados) — Delegation Strategy Lead for the Caribbean

Kyle is a Barbadian postgraduate student undertaking a Master of Philosophy in Deep-Sea Biology at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine in Trinidad & Tobago. He is also an environmental journalist, having previously written articles surrounding issues affecting people and nature for the Cari-Bois Environmental News Network and Climate Tracker.

He is passionate about combining his love for the deep sea and journalism to bring awareness of the potential threat deep-sea mining poses to its fragile ecosystems.

Through SOA, Kyle will be on the ground during the ISA’s 29th session to share with the public the decisions being made during these meetings and to educate individuals on how this potential activity impacts them.  

Leneka Rhoden, Advisory Board Member of Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (Jamaica) — Delegation Strategy Lead for Jamaica

Leneka is an Advisory Board Member of the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) and holds a degree in Marine Biology and International Relations and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) and Project Management (MPM). She is also an MPhil Candidate at the University of the West Indies, Mona specializing in the Uses and Applications of Sargassum (Biotechnological Applications and Processes). She has dedicated her efforts to integrating science, policy, and law to advise on ecosystem-based management for safeguarding marine ecosystems within and beyond national jurisdictions.

Leneka has led dialogues with local NGOs on MPAs and has worked with governments across the Caribbean and Africa to promote policy frameworks and guidelines on sustainable development and energy. Her work supports countries in achieving their climate goals by addressing data and institutional gaps in their existing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Jaime-Leigh Edghill, Environmental/Deep-Sea Biology Student (Trinidad & Tobago) — Delegation Scientific Advisor

Jaime-Leigh is currently pursuing a Master’s of Philosophy in Deep-Sea Biology at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine in Trinidad & Tobago. Her research focuses on exploring and understanding the deep sea of Trinidad & Tobago, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive knowledge for creating informed policies and effective environmental management. Jaime-Leigh believes that "we cannot protect what we do not know"—a principle that drives her passion for sustainable development, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Jaime-Leigh brings valuable experience from her time as a researcher in the Fisheries Division, where she helped manage the longline fleet on the high seas. She also served as a virtual delegate for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and contributed to a working group focused on shark conservation. Growing up by the water, her love for surfing and diving has deepened her commitment to protecting the ocean. She is committed to reciprocating the ocean's generosity by working tirelessly to protect and preserve it.

Take Action for the Deep Sea

Want to support our efforts from wherever you are in the world? Here is how YOU can take action to prevent deep-sea mining:

FOLLOW US

Add your voice to SOA's calls to #DefendTheDeep across social media by resharing and following our social media posts on Linkedin, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. 

TUNE INTO THE ISA LIVESTREAM

• Watch the ISA Livestream from July 15-August 2 here.

• Join SOA's External ISA WhatsApp group for live updates from SOA'S delegates on-site.

SIGN PETITIONS

• Sign SOA’s Petition Against Deep-Sea Mining, in partnership with The Oxygen Project, Only One, and Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.

• Sign the Indigenous-Led Petition Against Deep-Sea Mining with Blue Climate Initiative.

• Sign these regional petitions for the U.S., Norway, Colombia, and Argentina.

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES 

Encourage your government and representatives to oppose deep-sea mining. More than a dozen exploration contracts issued by ISA are held by these countries: China, India, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. Contact your official representative here.