Idelisa Bonnelly (Dominican Republic, 1926 – 2022) dedicated her life to protecting the oceans, paving the way for future female marine biologists. Her interest in the marine world began at a young age, becoming intrigued by the species in the waters of the Caribbean.
Later in life, she moved to New York to continue studying before returning to the Dominican Republic to teach at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo and found the Center for Marine Biology Research and the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic. Her publications are still of vital interest to the scientific community.
Among her achievements is also the creation of the first protected area for humpback whales, the “Santuario de los Bancos de Plata y Navidad”, and the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies, which cares for protected marine areas. Her dedication led UNESCO to award her the Marie Curie Medal in 2009, and the BBC referred to her in 2013 as one of the 10 women leading science in Latin America at that time.