In the 1990s, amid a devastating national food shortage, Dr. María Elena Ibarra Martín helped lead a remarkable transformation. Through the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research, she championed efforts to protect Cuba’s Guanahacabibes Peninsula, working alongside local communities to conserve the very fish and sea turtles they depended upon. What began as a commitment to protecting nature became a legacy of resilience and stewardship, earning international recognition in 2018 when the region was designated an official Mission Blue Hope Spot.

Now, the very community that helped protect this extraordinary place is now struggling to survive.

As Cuba faces another devastating humanitarian crisis, this remote corner of the island is especially vulnerable. Severe fuel shortages and the challenges of reaching such an isolated region have made essential supplies increasingly difficult to obtain. Electricity and cellular communication have become rare luxuries. Families lean on neighbors, sharing what little they have, while somehow continuing their commitment to protecting the natural world around them.

For decades, these people have worked to preserve one of Cuba’s most precious ecosystems. Today, they need others to help preserve something even more precious: the well-being of the people who call it home.