Emma Kabua-Tibon grew up with a love for the ocean in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). She holds a Bachelor of Marine Science from the University of the South Pacific and a Master of Marine Science from the Hawaii Pacific University. She takes pride in her fisheries career with the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) where she has made various contributions to scientific surveys and legislation/policy development including the Reimaanlok National Conservation Area Plan and the Protected Areas Network. Emma co-organized the first National Ocean Symposium, which resulted in an Ocean Policy and Implementation Plan for the country. She leads as MIMRA Secretariat for the Coastal Management Advisory Council and is also the first woman to become Chairperson of RMI EPA Board of Directors. In addition, she is a board member of Jo-Jikum and Vice-President of Kora In Okrane (KIO), two active NGOs in the RMI.