Carlos Robalino

Junior researcher

Carlos Robalino Mejía is a marine biologist from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, specialized in the ecology and conservation of pelagic species, with an emphasis on sharks and rays. He obtained a Master’s degree in Marine Resource Management at CICIMAR-IPN (Mexico), where he evaluated the diversity and biomass of pelagic species associated with islands and seamounts of the Cocos Ridge through the use of stereo-BRUVS, in collaboration with the scientific network MigraMar. Between 2023 and 2025, he was part of Pelagios Kakunjá, a Mexican non-governmental organization dedicated to the study and conservation of sharks and rays, where he worked as a researcher, data analyst, and field technician. He has participated in more than ten scientific expeditions in the Galápagos Islands, the Gulf of California, and the Mexican Pacific, integrating acoustic and satellite telemetry, stereo-BRUVS, and spatial analyses to evaluate movement patterns, habitat use, and connectivity of highly mobile elasmobranchs.

His work focuses on generating scientific evidence applicable to the management and conservation of pelagic species in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. In addition, he coordinates Ecuador’s national network of Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP), promoting training, collaboration, and leadership among early-career marine scientists. He is currently a junior researcher in the shark ecology project at the Charles Darwin Foundation.