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About Me
I, Dr. Xochitl Clare am an Afro-Latina marine biologist with Caribbean and Californian roots. I am also an interdisciplinary artist, and eco-performance scholar whose scientific and artistic work spans the West coast (Pacific Northwest, California) and Caribbean coasts. I blend marine science, culture, and performance to advance ocean healing and coastal resilience through multicultural, community-driven storytelling.
My Disciplinary Areas
Social-Ecological Science
Exploring how environmental change impacts fisheries and coastal communities, with a focus on resilience, equity, and cultural connection to the sea.
Ecophysiology
Investigating the biology of non-model marine species — from sea cucumbers to whelks — to understand their roles in nutrient cycling, climate adaptation, and ecosystem health.
Eco-Arts & Media
Creating public engagement experiences that merge science with performance, poetry, and film — from the Ocean Poetry Table to innovative ocean-arts courses — sparking dialogue about our shared blue backyards.
Art to Action Co-Creation:
A Narrative-Led Framework for Applied Science
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Interdisciplinary Integration – Bridging ecology, physiology, and the arts to create new pathways for understanding ocean change.
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Multicultural Perspectives – I draw on my US West Coast to Caribbean & Central American heritage to center diverse voices in conservation.
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Community Collaboration – Partnering with coastal communities, educators, and artists to co-create knowledge and solutions.
My work operates at the intersection of science and storytelling, guided by these core principles where arts and culture drive scientific inquiry
My Story
"Science is an experiment with yourself, and art is the same way" -Xochitl Clare
Growing up on the US West Coast as a Afro-Latina with Caribbean and Central American heritage, the ocean has always been woven into my culture — yet financial hardship made my visits to the ocean rare, sparking a lifelong drive to make marine science accessible to all.
Today, as a Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, I investigate how human impacts affect ecosystems and fisheries in the from the Pacific coast (Pacific Northwest, California) and the Caribbean.
My work in social-ecological science and ecophysiology examines the resilience of species like sea cucumbers and whelks — key players in nutrient cycling and ecosystem health.
Alongside my research, I am an eco-arts and media practitioner, creating immersive experiences that connect people to the ocean through creative expression. I co-develop emergent ocean-arts curricula (Motion in the Ocean, PopRox; Ocean Arts: Interdisciplinary, Intertidal, Interdependent, UW Friday Harbor Laboratories) and design projects like the Ocean Improv Poetry Table, a live, typewriter-based poetry event where communities reflect on their emotional connections to the ocean and climate change.
Whether in a lab, on stage, or in the field, I work between worlds — weaving science, culture, and performance to foster ocean healing and coastal resilience.
