Claudia Ruiz is the Reef Rescue Initiative Coordinator at the Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund), where she also oversees the MAR Insurance Programme. She has over 25 years of experience in the conservation of coastal and marine resources. Claudia holds a B.Sc. in Natural Resources Management and Wildlife from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a M.Sc. in Earth and Environmental Resources Management from the University of South Carolina, and a Licentiate in Aquaculture from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. She has worked with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, WWF, OSPESCA, CONAP (Guatemala), and Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), among others. Since joining MAR Fund in 2017, Claudia has led regional initiatives focused on reef restoration, resilience, and innovative financial mechanisms for marine conservation.