Mateja Zekan Lupić is a marine biologist working for the Croatian NGO Blue World Institute since 2012. Currently, she serves as Sea Turtle Rescue Center Manager, providing care to the sick and injured sea turtles, with the aim of their successful recovery and release into the sea. Since joining the organization, she was involved in scientific research, education, and conservation projects. She has worked closely with institutions from different countries in Mediterranean region on the implementation of EU projects like NETCET (Network for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Sea Turtles in the Adriatic) and LIFE EUROTURTLES (Collective actions for improving the conservation status of the EU sea turtle populations) aimed to improve the conservation status of cetaceans and sea turtles in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Sea through regional cooperation. Mateja completed her Master of Science degree at University of Trieste, Italy in 2011, focusing on the habitat use of bottlenose dolphins in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago. In the meantime, the focus of her work shifted from cetaceans to sea turtles. She was the Organizing Committee Member during the 6th Mediterranean Conference on Marine Turtles held in Poreč, Croatia in October 2018. As a person who is passionate about the sea, marine life and ecology, Mateja is dedicated to contributing to the conservation of sea turtles as one of the most endangered animal species as well as to promoting environmental awareness.