Trinidad and Tobago
Research Student
Chevelle Gollop is a recent University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) BASc graduate (2020) and has been a research intern in the FREE lab since 2019, where she is dedicated to doing marine research. In the lab, she identifies and preserves fishes for the collection, teaching and research purposes. Chevelle helps organize the lab and associated field and lab activities. Her research interests are mapping marine benthic features in Buccoo Reef, Tobago using underwater photogrammetry for educational purposes and for her PhD research project looking at examining the key factors of the calcium carbonate sequestration of Tobago’s reefs.
Trinidad and Tobago
Marine Scientist
La Daana Kanhai is a Trinidadian Marine Scientist that is presently based at the Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad. Since 2015, La Daana has been focused on the issue of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. During her recently completed PhD (2018) in Marine Ecosystem Health and Conservation (MARES) at Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (Ireland) and The University of Plymouth (UK), La Daana sampled the various environmental compartments of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans for microplastics.
La Daana’s fascination with and passion for the natural environment are the main factors that propelled her to pursue her dream of becoming an Environmental Scientist. La Daana joins the Caribbean leg of eXXpedition because she wants to raise awareness among Small Island Developing States (SIDS) about the issue of plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea.
Trinidad and Tobago
Geography Teacher
Leah Fouchong is from the small island of Trinidad and Tobago. She has been a Geography teacher for the past twelve years and protecting and preserving the Earth and our environment has always been a priority.
Leah is passionate and actively seeks to address environmental issues in her country and help members of her society develop and promote a more eco conscious lifestyle that is geared towards the preservation of our environment and its resources.
Leah was a scholarship recipient of the Caribbean Pacific Island Mobility Scheme where she completed a Masters in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean with a focus on the marine environment. This has led her to develop her passion and advocacy for ocean literacy and environmental conservation.
This advocacy has allowed her to create a community group by the name of Changemakers for the Environment which seeks to empower the public to learn, advocate and actively volunteer in environmental initiatives such as tree planting exercises and beach cleanups.
She also actively volunteers and partners with like minded organisations in her country such as Eco divers TT, Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists and Caribbean Youth Environmental Network. This helps to fulfil her mission of promoting environmental awareness, education and creating advocates for our environment.
