Xochitl Clare

Xochitl Clare is a marine biologist and performing artist dedicated to climate change biology, education, and environmental storytelling. She is a first generation Latina African American with island heritage (Jamaica and Belize) - where the importance of life at sea is in folktales, music, and food. However, Xochitl has firsthand experience with socioeconomic barriers associated with interacting with the marine world. Raised by a single mother, Xochitl kept her aquatic dreams afloat through bright books and media.

Now, she is proud to be a marine biologist researching the effects of climate change on important fisheries species. Although Xochitl learned to swim as an adult, she has excelled in her aquatic journey and is training to become a scientific diver to engage further in her research. Xochitl's experiences as a performing artist makes her a leader in science communication where she actively helps the public understand our relationship with the sea. 

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (2020 -present)
• Ph.D. Candidate, University of California, Santa Barbara (2017-present)
• Marine Biology B.S. & Theater Arts B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz (2017)
• Global Ocean Hero, Long Marine Laboratory (2016)
• Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellow, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2015)
• Virtual/Zoom Theater Artist (UCSB) - "Alone Together", "Fires in the Mirror" (2020-present)
• Invited Lecturer & Commencement Speaker: UCSC STEM Diversity, Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program, Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-Based Opportunities (2020)
• Latin Ballroom - Instructor, Competitor, Competition Judge (2013-present)

• https://xochitlclare.wixsite.com/dancingbiologist