Juan Francisco Suescún
(Colombia)Juan Francisco’s photographic work focuses on the relationship between people, culture, and landscape in some of the wild frontiers found in his home country, Colombia. His work is aimed at contributing to efforts in ocean conservation, wildlife, and biodiversity. In 2022, he was selected to take part in the National Geographic Society + The Nature Conservancy externship program, and went on to receive further seed funding from both organizations to continue his long-term photographic project documenting artisanal fishing and an endangered coral reef in Isla Fuerte, Bolívar.
ConnectA Reef Within
In a single generation, fishing has changed Isla Fuerte’s reef, perhaps forever. The deterioration of marine ecosystems is a global phenomenon that directly affects the daily life of the local community. This loss of biodiversity not only endangers the reef’s ecological balance but also threatens the island’s food security and sovereignty, traditions, economy, and culinary culture. A Reef Within examines the resilience, vulnerability, and lived experiences of people whose lives are inextricably linked to a changing environment, illustrating how climate change, biodiversity loss, and habitat degradation disrupt ecosystems while threatening a community’s food sovereignty, heritage, identity, and long-term resilience.
