MsDr. C. Isabel Núñez Lendo

Dr. C. Isabel Núñez Lendo is a marine scientist specializing in coral reef science, conservation and restoration, and coastal/island community engagement. She embodies modern exploration through pioneering fieldwork in Earth's most remote locations. Her 15-year international career spans five continents, with collaborations at prestigious institutions such as NASA, the Smithsonian, the National Geographic Society, International Union for Conservation of Nature, AIMS, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, and the Coral Reef Foundation. She has explored various types of coral reefs including fringing and barrier reefs in the Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, and Pacific regions, and most recently, uncharted Polynesian atolls, conducting research in locations that few scientists have had access to. Her exploration milestones include establishing the first coral tree nurseries in the South Pacific, conducting spawning event collections across three ocean basins, pioneering coral cryopreservation with the Smithsonian, documenting coral refugia in remote Japanese waters, leading expeditions to map remote French Polynesian atolls via drone surveys, outreach activities during expeditions in Australia and Palau, and transforming Caribbean Sargassum into community solutions. She has worked in more than 15 countries under challenging conditions. Her numerous accolades — including recognition as a Coral Champion by UN Ambassador Lewis Pugh, a National Geographic Explorer, a SRAP-frA Early-Career Researcher, and a La Caixa Excellence — reflect her pioneering spirit and impactful discoveries that define exploration.