Tomas CAMARENA Luhrs is the director of the Chinchorro Bank Biosphere Reserve, a marine natural-protected area of 144,360 hectares in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The reserve has the highest coral-reef biodiversity in the country, and has been selected by the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and The World Bank as a strategic conservation point along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second-largest coral reef system in the world. He recently coordinated the creation of a management plan to address threats posed by illegal fisheries and, in the future, tourism.

Prior experience with coral reef protection includes several years as director of the National Marine Park Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Punta Canc�n y Punta Nizuc, a position he started in 1996. Under difficult economic and political conditions, he completed a management plan that included a self-financing system to conserve, manage and operate this marine area highly impacted by tourism. He had previously conducted academic research fisheries, population dynamics and echo-integration towards the sustainable use of fish resources. T. Camarena studied biology at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City, and later studied in France and Western Africa, achieving a 'Doctorat de Troisi�me Cycle'. He enjoys diving, sailing and flying ultra-light planes.