Shaleyla holds a Bachelor’s in Biology with Ecology emphasis from La Molina National Agrarian University and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Conservation from Duke University with a grant from the Fulbright Program and the OAS. For 20 years, she has been doing scientific research to improve the management and conservation of marine habitats and species such as turtles and elasmobranchs. She is currently an associate researcher at ecOceanica and an officer for the Marine program of the WWF. Some of her research fields related to leatherback turtles are bycatch on various fishing fleets, techniques to reduce bycatch, and dissemination and awareness to reduce fishing mortality and pollution.