Cleeford Genyson Joseph was born and raised in Petite Riviere de Nippes, where his father worked for the local school he attended.   He has been involved with Haiti Ocean Project since 2012.  After graduating high school in 2013, Cleeford attended college in Port au Prince studying Journalism, always returning to Petite Riviere de Nippes during holidays and in the summer to work with Haiti Ocean Project.

He believes that protecting marine life in Haiti is a duty for everyone.  Cleeford is dedicated to raising awareness of the valuable marine life in his country, and training people to protect these species.  As marine mammal coordinator, his job is to help assess and document the whale, dolphin and manatee populations in local waters and work towards their protection and recovery.  He also helps with all other conservation work involving sea turtles, stingrays, and sharks.