Mauricio Gonzalez

Mauricio González was born on the Andean plateau in Colombia, South America. He grew up in Queens, New York. He returned to his native land to pursue a degree in Marine Biology on a scholarship researching coral reefs and sea turtles of Tayrona National Park.

After living and learning among local fisherman he decided to return to NYC in 2001 to begin environmental inquiry work with underrepresented youth. Named NYC Big Apple Teacher of the Year in 2018, he has developed innovative programs to enhance youth’s exposure to the natural world with phenomena-based research techniques and has placed hundreds of students in internships through his BlueGreen Career Work-Based Learning Program.

He is the founder and director of the Marine Biology Research Program and the Civic Science team, New York Harbor SEALs. Visit his site at www.harborseals.org.