OneReef Worldwide Stewardship is thrilled to announce that Micronesian marine conservation leader Jasmine “Jas” Mendiola has joined us as Director of the Oceania Collective, marking an important milestone in the Collective’s continued growth and evolution.
Jasmine is from the Dipwinmen Clan of Pohnpei. She describes herself as having mixed Micronesian roots – her family being Kosraean, Pohnpeian, Marshallese and Chamorro, while Pohnpei has always been home. For the Dipwinmen clan, Jas explains, “our totem is the sabre squirrel fish. So I think I was really meant to end up in this career.”
Jasmine has been inspired on her path by a deep love of the ocean and the desire to “pair my passion for the ocean, but also my values in serving my people.”
What excites her about this role is “using my values and my passion, my skills and my talents that I have established over the years to serve my communities.”
Jas first became involved with the Collective through her work with the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP). What stood out to her immediately was the common purpose connecting its members.
“It is a network of people with a shared dream to expand, enhance and improve marine conservation but with a very strong emphasis that it’s community-led,” she says. “That’s what was most transparent to me- that the work is for communities, led by communities and supported by communities.”
The Oceania Collective is spearheaded by OneReef Worldwide Stewardship. It brings together Pacific Island partners—the Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network in Fiji, the Rahui Center in French Polynesia, One Reef Micronesia in Palau and Yap, Ocean Kiribati in Kiribati, the Naoero Fisheries and Marine Resource Authority (NFMRA) in Naoero, the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) in Pohnpei and the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS) in the Marshall Islands —committed to strengthening community-driven solutions for ocean-climate resilience. Its work is guided by shared values of community-centred action, stewardship, integrity, equity, respect, humility and unity.
Jas is particularly inspired by the cultural foundations of the Collective’s members, who are the organizations working most closely with communities to implement locally-led marine conservation in their countries. Their work is shaped not only by environmental priorities but also by local cultures, knowledge, relationships and ways of life.
When asked what are the common values and goals that bind the Collective together Jas replies, “I really do see a very strong intention to support our communities within the existing partners…they really have a strong cultural approach. There’s really obvious value in supporting the communities and maintaining that cultural sensitivity and the cultural component within those projects.”
Jas brings around a decade of experience in marine science, conservation and program implementation. In her new role, she will guide the Collective’s strategic direction, strengthen support for its partners and help expand its reach across the Pacific.
Jas studied marine science at the College of Micronesia before undertaking undergraduate research internships at the University of Hawai‘i and an internship with the Pacific Community (SPC). She later spent more than five years as Assistant Director of the Marine and Environmental Research Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP), where she gained extensive experience in marine conservation and aquaculture.
She subsequently worked for more than three years with Rare as Senior Program Implementation Manager for the Fishing for Climate Resilience program. Her experience also includes aquaculture consultancy work for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the National Oceanic Resource Marine Authority (NORMA) as well as work with the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), helping connect ocean data with climate and disaster planning.
Most recently, Jas as the Director of Operations for CSP focused most on its community-based fisheries management work. These experiences have shown her that effective conservation begins with the people who depend most directly on the ocean.
Her connection to the ocean began early. She spent many childhood summers on an atoll in Pohnpei owned by her aunt and uncle—an upbringing that helped make a career in marine conservation feel like a natural path. Jas is a mother of two daughters and enjoys fishing, swimming and spending time by the ocean. That combination of scientific experience, community commitment and deeply rooted Pacific identity will shape how Jas leads the Oceania Collective into its next chapter.
As Director, Jas will work with the Collective’s members to shape and operationalize its strategy and ensure its work responds to the needs of partners and the communities they serve. Her priorities include identifying new opportunities and resources, building a strong team and expanding the Collective’s partnerships throughout the region.
At the country level, she will lead the Oceania Collective to offer support tailored to the circumstances and priorities of each partner. Regionally and globally, she hopes it can connect Pacific organizations and communities with greater resources, impact, opportunities and visibility.
She would also like to grow the network, saying “I would also like to see more partners engaged on a regional level. I would really like to see at least a few projects or partners from all over the Pacific.”
“I want the Collective to have a reputation where people associate the name with how effective and how significant our support is to the communities that we serve.”
Photo by Haruko T. Joel, HarPix Photography.