Natalia Uribe Castañeda

Over 15 years of experience in conservation management and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. Proven track record in coordinating complex interdisciplinary projects globally, mentoring teams, and aligning activities with conservation and resilience objectives. Expertise in building cross-sector partnerships and negotiating with NGOs, community organizations, and government agencies to implement effective nature-based solutions. Strong project management skills with a focus on prioritizing tasks, achieving project goals, and driving process improvements.

• Paper reviewer, Restoration Ecology Journal, 02/25
• Paper reviewer, npj Ocean Sustainability Journal, 11/24
• Paper reviewer, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 09/24
• Proposal Reviewer, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 06/22 - 06/24

• 2025, Knauss Fellowship Sea Grant
• 2024, Reef Futures symposium scholarship from the Coral Restoration Consortium
• 2024, Scholarship Research Diving Methods Course at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
• 2023, Open Doors Conference Grant from the International Society of Ecological Restoration
• 2023, Research Fellowship from the University of Florida
• 2023, Research Grant MAXQDA Software for qualitative research
• 2023, Research grant from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Florida
• 2023, Robin E. Nadeau Graduate Research Award
• 2022, Ruth Gates field research fellowship from the International Coral Reef Society
• 2022, Reef Futures symposium scholarship from the Coral Restoration Consortium
• 2022, Research grant from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Florida
• 2022, Research Fellowship from the Biodiversity Institute of the University of Florida
• 2022, Second prize pre-dissertation poster award at the Fieldwork Festival of the University of Florida
• 2021, Conference travel grant from the University of Florida
• 2021, Field research grant from Wave of Change of Iberostar tourism company
• 2021, Field research grant from the Tropical Conservation and Development at the University of Florida
• 2020, Fulbright Doctoral Scholarship to cover tuition and salary
• 2016, Erasmus Mundus Scholarships for master's to cover tuition and salary
• 2015, German Academic Exchange Service Scholarships for development-related courses
• 2015, Field research grant from the Colombian Ministry of Science
• 2013, Equipment grant from Idea Wild
• 2009-2012, Excellence Award for academic performance at the University of Valle

• AAUS Research Diving Methods, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, 06/24 - 07/24
• Women lead, University of Florida, 08/23 - 12/23
• MAXQDA Crash Course, Online, 12/22
• Diploma 'Introduction to Ocean Politics', Colombian Ocean Commission, 07/22 - 11/22
• A Holistic Approach to Reef Education, Reef Futures, Coral Restoration Consortium, 09/22
• From Coral Reefs Reproduction to Restoration, Reef Systems Academic Unit, Mexican National Autonomous University, 08/19
• Divemaster (429668), Professional Association of Diving Instructors, 12/18
• Skipper Captain, Colombian National Learning Service, 10/18 - 12/18
• Ecosystem Services Governance, Coastal Integrated Management in Ibero-America Symposium, 05/16
• Assessment of Anthropogenic Impacts in Marine Coastal Areas, Latin-American Sea Sciences Congress, 10/13
• Marine Rapid Response Network, Charles Darwin Foundation and Galapagos National Park, 07/13
• Integrated Coastal and Marine Management, Marine and Coastal Research Institute 'Jose Benito Vives de Andreis', 09/12
• Taxonomy of Sharks and Rays in The Colombian Pacific, Sharks and rays research and conservation Colombian Foundation, 08/10

• Hurtado, M., Burns, R. C., Andrew, R., Cardozo Moreira, J., Schwarzmann, D., Uribe-Castañeda, N., & Allen, M., 2025, Perceptions of snorkelers and SCUBA divers at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: An importance/ performance analysis case study., Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 10.18666/JPRA-2025-13176
• NOAA, 2025, NOAA Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Report for Fiscal Year 2024., Silver Spring, MD, 10.25923/yvzq-3y78, 1st author
• NOAA, 2025, NOAA Uncrewed Marine Systems Report for Fiscal Year 2024., Silver Spring, MD, 10.25923/yvzq-3y78, 1st author
• Uribe-Castañeda N, Morales N, Loizzo J, Patterson JT, Main M., 2025, Building Local Capacity in Coral Reef Restoration., Revista de biologia tropical, 1st author, In revision
• Uribe-Castañeda N, Morales N, Loizzo J, Patterson JT, Main M., 2025, Challenges and opportunities of community engagement in Coral Reef Restoration., Revista de biologia tropical, 1st author, In revision
• Uribe-Castañeda N, Morales N, Loizzo J, Patterson JT, Main M., 2024, Community Engagement in Coral Reef Restoration in the Seaflower MPA, Colombia., Restoration Ecology, 1st author
• Uribe-Castañeda N, Satizabal CA, Herrera Orozco L, Cantera J., 2020, Ecosystems Services Vulnerability of Uramba Marine Protected Area., Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research, 1st author
• Uribe-Castañeda N, Newton A, Le Tissier M., 2018, Coral Reef Socio-Ecological Systems Analysis & Restoration., Sustainability Journal, 10, 12, 4490, 10.3390/su10124490, 1st author
• Cantera JR, Londoño-Cruz E, Mejía-Ladino LM, Herrera-Orozco L, Satizabal C, Uribe-Castañeda N., 2013, Environmental Issues of a Marine Protected Area in a Tectonic Estuary in the Tropical Eastern Pacific: Uramba (Malaga Bay Colombia): Context, Biodiversity, Threats and Challenges., Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 5, 1037-1047, 10.4236/jwarp.2013.511109, Co-author
• Castellanos-Galindo GA, Prieto LM, Uribe-Castañeda N, Zapata LA., 2015, Colombian Pacific Mangroves Fishes., Cali, World Wildlife Foundation Colombia, 28, Co-author

• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Main, M., 2024, Community Engagement in Coral Reef Restoration., Reef Futures, Cancun, Mexico
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Main, M., 2023, Community Engagement in Coral Reef Restoration., 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration, Darwin, Australia
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Main, M., 2023, Community Engagement in Coral Reef Restoration., ReeFlorida Symposium, Miami, United States
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Main, M., 2022, Preliminary results: Community engagement on Coral Reef Restoration in the Seaflower Biosphere Colombia., Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Graduate Student Symposium and Fieldwork Festival, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Main, M., 2021, Restoration in Coral Reef Socio-Ecological Systems., 14th International Coral Reef Symposium, Online
• Uribe-Castañeda, N., Newton, A. & Le Tissier, M., 2018, Coral Reef Socio-Ecological Systems Analysis & Restoration., Geo Blue Planet Symposium 4, Toulouse, France
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & López, F., 2015, Environmental Education as Conservation Strategy of Nariño Colombia's Mangroves., II International Workshop on Estuaries and Mangroves Ecosystems, Cali, Colombia
• Uribe-Castañeda, N., Castellanos-Galindo, G., & Zapata, L.A., 2015, Estuary- mangrove fishes of Iscuande Estuary (Colombian South Pacific): a view from the artisanal fisheries., XIII Colombian Ichthyology Congress, Leticia, Colombia
• Zapata, L.A., Uribe-Castañeda, N., Gomez, L.S., Castellanos-Galindo, G., Restrepo, E., Baos, R. & Guerrero, D., 2014, Awareness and exchange of illegal artisanal fishing gear., Colombian Ichthyofauna Symposium, IV Colombian Zoology Congress, Cartagena, Colombia
• Uribe-Castañeda, N., Castellanos-Galindo, G., Zapata, L.A. & Guevara, O., 2014, Community vivarium as an option for mangrove restoration., Mangrove restoration, as a driver to prevent erosion Workshop, Colombian Oceanic Commission, Cali, Colombia
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Cantera, J. R., 2013, Environmental Vulnerability and Conservation Strategies in Uramba Bahía Málaga Marine Protected Area, Colombian Pacific., XV latín-American Marine Sciences Congress COLACMAR, Punta del Este, Uruguay
• Cantera J. R., Uribe-Castañeda N., Londoño-Cruz E., Giraldo A., Herrera L., López De Mesa L. A., Satizabal C., Medina-Contreras D., Álvarez F., Cuellar L. M., Espinosa S. Y Mejia Ladino L. M., 2013, Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Vulnerability in Bahía Málaga (Colombian Pacific): natural and anthropic threats., XV Colombian Marine Science Seminar SENALMAR, Santa Marta, Colombia
• Uribe-Castañeda, N. & Cespedes, E., 2012, State and diversity of the coral community in two locations with different degrees of anthropogenic disturbance in Capurgana, Choco., Biological Sciences Colombian Congress, ACCB, Cali, Colombia
• Uribe-Castañeda, N.; Ocampo, M. A. & Cantera, J. R., 2010, Geographical distribution of Littorinidae family in Malaga Bay, Colombian Pacific., XIV Colombian Marine Science Seminar SENALMAR, Cali, Colombia

• 2023 - 2024, President of the School of Natural Resources and Environment student council of the University of Florida, Point of contact and reviewer for the school travel grants.
• 2022 - 2023, Coral communication, Building a working group of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, Sea Grant Florida, University of Florida IFAS Extension, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Coral Restoration Foundation: build a community of practice.
• 2022 - 2023, Vice president of the Tropical Conservation and Development Program student group of the University of Florida, Planning and organizing fundraising events.
• 2022 - 2023, Treasurer of the School of Natural Resources and Environment student council of the University of Florida, Point of contact, reviewer for the school travel grants, and organizer of the annual school symposium.
• 2020 - 2022, Member of the Mission Iconic Reefs stewardship and community engagement working group, Develop the activities plan for engaging communities on the Iconic Reefs project.
• 2020 - 2022, Member of the standard terms working group of the Coral Restoration Consortium, Identify and define key terms for developing the coral restoration glossary.