Carlos Mallo Molina is a civil engineer specialised in ports and coastal infrastructure, and an
environmental conservationist focused on the protection and regeneration of marine
ecosystems. After years working on large-scale engineering projects, he founded
Innoceana, an international non-profit marine conservation organisation with entities in
Spain, Costa Rica, the United States, and Fiji, created to bridge science, community action,
and decision-making in coastal and ocean governance. In 2025, he received the Goldman
Environmental Prize (Europe) for leading the citizen movement that stopped the
construction of the Fonsalía Port in Tenerife, a milestone for marine protection in the
Canary Islands.
Carlos designs and leads multidisciplinary initiatives across Macaronesia, Central America,
and the Pacific, bringing together researchers, local institutions, and coastal communities to
develop practical, scalable solutions. His work centers on Ocean Nature-Based Solutions—
such as seagrass restoration, coastal ecosystem recovery, and science-based approaches to
reduce human pressures in key habitats—while also promoting more responsible models of
coastal development. He is especially interested in how engineering can evolve from
“building against nature” to working with natural processes to strengthen resilience,
biodiversity, and climate adaptation.
At heart, Carlos is a bridge-builder: between science and society, between coastal
communities and decision-makers, and between today’s urgent challenges and the ocean
we want future generations to inherit. He brings conservation from ideas to the water—
mobilising people, forging unlikely alliances, and turning shared purpose into real
protection at sea. Through Innoceana, he champions a hopeful, action-driven vision of
ocean stewardship where restoration, education, and community-led solutions become a
force for lasting change.
