Dr. María Suárez Toro is a journalist, radio producer, school teacher and university professor, a social activist in human rights, women’s rights and the environment, a fisherwoman and scuba diver. Maria has a PhD in Pedagogical Mediation (Applied Holistic Education) of the La Salle University in Costa Rica and a Masters Degree in Education from Albany State Education (SUNY) in N.Y.
She is currently an underwater archaeology trainee in NAS curriculum, having completed the first two levels; has coordinated three Field Work programs in the Cahuita National Parks in Costa Rica under the stewardship of the Centro Comunitario de Buceo Embajadores y Embajadoras del Mar, the expertise and scientific conduction of the UEC staff and the permits by the Park authorities. Coordinator and convernor of three Seminars Legados en el Mar Caribe Sur about community underwater archeology in Costa Rica’s Caribbean together with UCR sede Caribe and ASOPESCAHUI. She is currently preparing to become a PADI Master Diver and is a certified PADI Open, Advanced, Rescue Diver and three Specialty Courses in Wreck Monitoring and in Coral Monitoring and Restoriation. She has been invited to the Diving With a Purpose (DWP) adult program in Florida where she will join the National Association if Back Scuba Dives (NABS) and other networks.
Books published about the Southern Caribbean: Se Vende Lindo Pais? (2001), La Tranca (2002) con Cristina Zeledon publicado por el Instituto Tecnológico Costarricense, Un Tiburón, del Pez León y un Biólogo Marino (2015) Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas , Tona Ina: La Misteriosa Cueva de un Pez León en Cahuita (2017) Editoria Universidad de Costa Rica.
Awards: As part of CCB Embajadores, he has won 2 nd Place with ECU, of the Diversity Award of the Society of Historical Archaeology (SHA) in 2017.
Updated January 2020.