International Women's Day community capacity development Gender balance
Martha Patricia Vides Casado at INVEMAR, 3 March 2025. Photo: INVEMAR
For International Women’s Day, we had the privilege of (virtually) conversing with Martha Patricia Vides Casado, a marine biologist with nearly 30 years of experience in ocean biodiversity, geoinformation science, and environmental planning. As a former co-chair of OBIS (2019-2024) and the current OBIS Colombia Node Manager, Martha has played an essential role in ocean science. In this interview, she shares her journey, the challenges she faced in her career and her vision for a more inclusive future.
OBIS: Martha, we are honoured to have that conversation with you! Could you introduce yourself?
Martha Vides: I’m glad to be here! My name is Martha Patricia Vides. I’m a marine biologist with a master’s degree in geoinformation science and a specialization in planning and coordination from ITC in The Netherlands. I started my career as a benthic taxonomist nearly 30 years ago, crisscrossing the Central Caribbean Sea of Colombia. Later, I participated in Colombia’s first national exercise for integrated coastal zone management. We wanted to identify Colombia’s vulnerability to the potential risk of sea level rise due to climate change. Then, in 2013, I moved to marine mapping–the baseline study of the sea–to support sustainable management and map the exploration areas for the National Hydrocarbon Agency, which I have been leading for almost seven years, among other projects. Since February 2019, I have been part of the marine biodiversity ecosystem program at INVEMAR, the Marine Marine and Coastal Research Institute of Colombia. I’ve been directing one of the research lines on inventories, taxonomy, and species biology.
Your resume is impressive! What inspired you to pursue a career in marine science?
When I was a kid, I thought I might be a chemist. I experimented a lot at home, which my mother wasn’t too happy about, especially when my experiments smelled bad! At that time, I wasn’t fond of insects and bugs, so I began to get interested in the underwater world, only to realize… that it was full of life. Since then, my curiosity for the ocean never faded. Every field expedition I join, every discovery about the deep sea I hear of, and every challenge in marine research inspires me today. Another major source of inspiration for my devotion to the ocean is the Colombian TV show Naturalia, presented by Gloria Valencia de Castaño. She introduced me—and many Colombian kids at that time—to the wonders of nature. She also brought conservation issues and figures like Jacques Cousteau and David Attenborough to broader Colombian audiences.
Were there women who inspired you throughout your career?
I was mesmerized by Naturalia’s presenter, Gloria Valencia de Castaño. At that time, science in Colombian television was a male-only territory. And seeing that woman talking about science and conservation deeply marked me. Later on, during a field expedition in the Caribbean, one of my female colleagues, Dominique von Schiller, amazed me. She was commandeering the male crew, taking care of the equipment, leading the way. She was my first source of professional inspiration, and she showed me that I, too, could dare. Paula Sierra, the current Co-Chair of IODE-IOC-UNESCO and my former supervisor, is another source of inspiration for me. I truly admire her. Our former Minister of the Environment, Susana Muhammad, who led the COP16 in Cali and Rome, is also at the top of my list. She admirably uses and mobilizes her scientific knowledge for environmental policy and conservation issues. I’m a huge fan of her!
Your career spans nearly three decades. Was there a defining moment that shaped your perspective on marine biodiversity and data?
In 2007, I participated in a national initiative to create Colombia’s first comprehensive ecosystem map. Five leading national research institutes combined their efforts. My team at INVEMAR was responsible for mapping the country’s underwater territory, which covers nearly 50% of its total area. Before that, Colombia’s marine zones were just small squares on maps. With a group of researchers, we developed a methodology from scratch to determine the biogeographical divisions of the Colombian territorial waters. After a while, we came out with Colombia’s first complete tri-dimensional national map. Our work reshaped how our country was represented and defined. We integrated marine and terrestrial ecosystems into a unified national identity. I was so proud of our work. It was a turning point for me, and I realized how critical spatial data is for marine science. I also realized how much work was still needed to truly understand the ocean. And this led me to OBIS!
How did your involvement with OBIS begin?
In 2017, I attended a meeting in Canada where I met Mark Costello, the first OBIS Chair. His work on biodiversity mapping fascinated me, completely opening my eyes to OBIS’s impact. Then, in 2018, Colombia, through INVEMAR, joined the OBIS. A year later, I was appointed as OBIS Co-Chair. It was an incredible journey, moving from being an observer to being elected as a leader in a global initiative. The feeling was incredible. These years were crucial for OBIS, and I’m immensely honoured that I could contribute to the organization’s transition into a formal IOC-UNESCO program. I contributed to strengthening OBIS as a community composed of people, not just a database. This is something that I’m really proud of. I love that singularity and fraternity I could feel at OBIS, and I wanted it to be acknowledged and emblazoned in the organization.
You have held leading positions that usually come with challenges throughout your career. What obstacles did you face as a woman, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve been fortunate to work with supportive mentors and supervisors who have always respected me, my work, and my contributions. This has contributed to shaping me into who I am professionally. I’m an open person who likes to communicate, and I have always been able to talk to people about their research, their issues, their challenges, and their experiences. I’m empathic and pay attention to what my colleagues and team members are facing, offering a friendly smile and a possible solution. But I’ve also seen the barriers many women face—particularly in male-dominated fields like marine research. For instance, in Colombia, army and navy-affiliated research institutes are almost still exclusively led by men, and women are often pushed into secondary roles. I feel that this might have to do, at least partly, with our Latin American culture, which tends to diminish the role of women in science.
Another major challenge is language. English dominates science, and many talented Latin American women struggle to gain visibility due to the language barrier. Slowly, though, a combination of factors, such as better English literacy and new technologies like AI, is changing things. Due to that language barrier, there is a glass ceiling in science in Latin America, preventing women scientists from embracing international careers or leadership positions.
The last challenge is the social pressure to get a PhD. In Latin America, many women students go from a Master’s degree to a PhD without experiencing the “real world” and grasping the reality and the needs of the work market. I would encourage women to be bold, to do their studies in steps, to experiment, gain experience and self-confidence.
Have you ever felt the need to work harder as a woman to prove yourself?
Absolutely. I’ve been in meetings where I, as the project leader, was ignored while my male boss was given the floor. I had to whisper to him what he was supposed to say. That was at the beginning of my career, and quickly, I realized that I needed to push forward. Over time, I learned to assert myself. I sometimes had to battle with male colleagues from other institutions, but I always ended up being acknowledged for my competencies. I feel proud that I stood up. Experience gives you confidence, and I realized I had every right to be at the table and be heard.
If you could change one thing today to make science more inclusive, what would it be?
I would break down language barriers. English should not be the only way to access and disseminate scientific knowledge. Many brilliant women in Latin America, Africa, and Asia struggle to gain recognition because their work isn’t published in English.
We also need to value experience as much as degrees. Many women in science feel pressured to get a PhD, but hands-on expertise is just as valuable. We should recognize multiple pathways to success.
I would also improve how science is communicated. That’s a huge task, I know! But this would help make science more accessible to all and could help underrepresented groups overcome the invisible threshold preventing them from joining scientific activities.
Education is also a critical improvement point. We need to provide boys and girls with the same unbiased access to scientific education without pre-assigning roles and let them develop and thrive.
Finally, I would better include ancestral and traditional knowledge in science. We, as scientists, must relearn to live in peace with Nature. We need to understand that part of communities, part of environments, part of habitats.
Some initiatives promote women-only mentorship programs. Can this help encourage women’s participation in science?
It depends. In some regions, these spaces can be empowering because women face structural and cultural barriers that prevent them from speaking up in mixed-gender settings. We should also consider and value other dimensions than gender, such as soft skills. Empathy and understanding can be massive drivers to create a safe environment.
What message would you give to young women aspiring to careers in science?
Read. Read everything. Read with a scientific curiosity, and explore. Develop your critical thinking. Stay curious. Learn something every day. Stay engaged. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong on the path you choose to follow. You do belong there. Own it, walk it, and make it yours.
