Ricardo de Ycaza holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston, a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) and Marketing from the Latin University of Panama, and a Ph.D. in Marine and Coastal Policy from Oregon State University. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. His research focuses on equity and justice in ocean governance and marine resource management, with emphasis on small-scale fisheries, institutional and legal frameworks, and policy processes and outcomes. Over the past decade, Ricardo has contributed to marine and environmental governance, policy, and resource management initiatives across government, academia, and the nonprofit and private sectors in Latin America and the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Through collaborative research and practice, Ricardo aims to support inclusive and context-responsive approaches to ocean governance, helping to bridge the science-policy interface in ways that benefit marine and coastal ecosystems and the people who rely on them.