About Us
The Lab
The Blue Economy Solutions Lab conducts research and advisory services in biodiversity finance, marine conservation, and sustainable development. Our mission is to drive forward novel concepts for advancing both social and environmtal interests for a sustainble future for the ocean. We embrace a philosophy that the best solutions embrace humans and coastal communities are inherent parts of marine ecosystems.
John Bohorquez
Dr. John Bohorquez, Founding Director of the Blue Economy Solutions Lab, is an interdisciplinary marine conservation scientist who has over a decade of experience working in the field across the private sector, academia, NGOs, and the United Nations. He is an established expert in several topics including marine protected areas, impact and blended finance, fisheries, and private equity. He is also a research affiliate with Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in New York and a Technical Specialist with the Conservation Finance Alliance.
John completed a postdoctoral fellowship and Ph.D. at Stony Brook University where he published research on marine protected areas in Latin America, the Caribbean, and China, as well as ecosystem service valuations and ecosystem restoration. He received his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) where he majored in Economics and Environmental Studies and minored in Earth & Oceanographic Sciences. John also serves on committees and advisory panels with several environmental organizations including IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Economist magazine, and The Explorers Club.
Our Work
The Blue Economy Solutions Lab has an established track record of research and advisory principally related to sustainable finance of protected areas at the global, regional, and country level. From the Indian Ocean to Latin America and the Caribbean, clients, collaborators, and research partners have included distinguished organizations such as the Blue Nature Alliance, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, and the RedLAC Congress. Dr. Bohorquez's other relevant experience includes work with the United Nations Capital Development Fund as a Programme Development Advisor for the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, Minderoo Foundation on 30x30 Finance, and with the International Fisheries Conservation Programs at the Pew Charitable Trusts and The Ocean Foundation. He also continues to perform research on solutions for coral reef conservation at Stony Brook University.
