Ramon Rechebei grew up with the ocean as his playground and his provider. As a young boy in
Palau, he found recreation in learning how to fish and observing different sea creatures and their
behaviors. His upbringing with the ocean informed his professional work as a marine biologist in
then Trust Territory Administration in Saipan from 1974 to 1983 and in fisheries management
and related activities for the Government of Palau from 1984 to 2006. He retired in 2006 and
spent the next seven years serving as Ambassador of Palau to the Republic of the Philippines,
Indonesia and Vietnam. Mr. Rechebei believes that in teaching our youth about the ocean, we
must balance the science curriculum taught in school with experiential learning by engaging with
parents so that traditional knowledge, as well as cultural values about the ocean, can be reinforced and encouraged at home.
