OCEAN LEADERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Programme Assistant ( Media & Communications )
Amber is undertaking a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, researching the incorporation of climate change and variability in marine protected area (MPA) strategy and design. She is particularly interested in how MPAs can be an effective tool to support marine conservation and coastal livelihoods under future climate change conditions.
Amber has an MSc in Marine Systems and Policies from the University of Edinburgh. She completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Miami. Amber has undertaken research in many ocean regions including the Caribbean, eastern tropical Pacific and Mozambique channel. Alongside her PhD she enjoys science communication - regularly writing blog posts, articles and helping to produce the podcast SciFeed.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Lawyer, Policy Advisor and PhD Candidate, Seychelles and UK
Diva Amon is a deep-sea biologist who works at the nexus of science, policy, and communications. She studies the weird and wonderful animals living in a range of previously unknown deep-sea habitats and human impacts on them. Diva holds a PhD in Ocean and Earth Science and has participated in research expeditions around the world gathering critical data to inform decision-making for the management of marine habitats. She is also a co-founder of SpeSeas, a non-profit organisation dedicated to marine science, education, and advocacy in her home country, Trinidad and Tobago. Diva serves as a scientific advisor and research scientist at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been acknowledged as a 2020 National Geographic Emerging Explorer and holds a position on the Executive of the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative. Additionally, Diva is recognized as a Friend of Ocean Action by the World Economic Forum and honored as a 2022 Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Lecturer
- Co - Director, Edinburgh
Meriwether Wilson is Senior Lecturer/ Associate Professor in Marine Science and Policy at the University of Edinburgh. Her research projects, teaching and publications focus on the science-policy-society intersections of marine ecosystems, in particular biodiversity, ocean governance and climate adaptation for small island developing states (SIDS) and large-ocean island nations. Meriwether also founded the university's interdisciplinary MSc in Marine Systems and Policies.
Before joining the University of Edinburgh, Meriwether spent two decades working on marine protected areas and sustainable development, at the World Bank and other international organisations. She worked at diverse ocean scales, cultures and economies, with field work and leadership in the Pacific, Caribbean, Europe and the Red and Black Seas. Meriwether has degrees from Duke University (BA), Yale University (MES) and University of Washington (PhD), and is a long-standing member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
Job Titles:
- Advisor to Governments and International Organisations on Marine Governance and Policy
- Director of the Nippon Foundation - University of Edinburgh Ocean Voices Programme
Harriet Harden-Davies is the Director of the Nippon Foundation-University of Edinburgh Ocean Voices Programme. Her research interests lie at the intersection of ocean law and science, including international ocean governance and equity, marine conservation and sustainable development, capacity building and ocean stewardship. Harriet co-founded the Early Career Ocean Professional Programme under the UN Ocean Decade and is a member of the UNESCO-IOC Group of Experts on Capacity Development. Her PhD and Postdoctoral research focused on the development of a new UN treaty for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. She is co-lead of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative and is a member of the Editorial Board for Marine Policy, and a Deputy Director of the Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Centre. Her previous roles include Research Fellow at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong; Visiting Science Diplomacy Fellow at Tufts University; Guest Investigator at the Marine Policy Centre of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; and Manager of Policy and Projects at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Marine Policy Consultant and Environmental Lawyer, Costa Rica
Haydée is a lawyer, passionate about translating science into public policy for ocean conservation. Since 2001, she has worked with civil society organizations on issues related to the human right to water and sanitation, marine spatial planning, sustainable management of fisheries, protection of marine vulnerable species, climate change and public participation in environmental decisions. From 2018 to 2021, she was the vice-minister for Water and the Ocean for the Government of Costa Rica. From there, she developed public policy for marine conservation and prioritised ocean issues in the national and international agenda. She led negotiations and partnerships to promote a healthy ocean as hope and solution to face climate change and biodiversity loss. As a consultant, she works with governments, NGOs and international organisations to design smart marine conservation policies and to connect the dots between climate change and the ocean. Haydée's heart belongs to the deep waters of Cocos Island in Costa Rica.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director and Vice President of Oceana
Hugo is Executive Director and Vice President of Oceana in the UK. He previously led the ocean campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage, taking action from the beach front to the front benches of Parliament, securing government legislation to protect our seas across four environmental pillars - plastic pollution, water quality, climate change and rewilding our ocean. Hugo founded the Plastic Free Communities movement, the Million Mile Beach Clean & the Plastic Free Awards. He is also a founding member of the Global Wave Conference. He was recently awarded a Doctorate of Science by Exeter University for his services to the marine environment and was recognised as Environmentalist of the Year 2021 by the Save the Waves coalition.
Job Titles:
- Programme Assistant ( Events Coordination )
Jessica is undertaking a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, researching the susceptibility and sensitivity of coral reefs and seagrasses ecosystems in South Asia to the impacts of nitrogen pollution. She is especially interested in how nature based solutions can be used to help support marine conservation and coastal livelihood adaptation measures against the climate emergency. She has a keen interest in experimental work associated with coastal biogeochemistry, particularly in blue carbon ecosystems.
Jessica completed her undergraduate degree in Geography at the University of Bristol and has an MSc in Marine Systems and Policies from the University of Edinburgh. She is also a qualified secondary school Geography teacher and education is a core value of her work. Jessica has undertaken research in many regions around the world including Madagascar, the Maldives and Australia
Job Titles:
- Project Coordinator at Wildlife Conservation Society ( WCS ) Tanzania
Johnson Mshana is a Project Coordinator at Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Tanzania and a passionate conservationist with ten years of experience working in complex marine environments on community co-fisheries and marine protected area management. He uses interdisciplinary and community-centered strategies to empower coastal communities, especially women and youth, to make informed decision-making around fisheries management, and find alternative ways to supplement income and food sources. Through his work, he has created scientific evidence to inform and spearhead community-based conservation projects and policy changes for improved marine resources management. In the past four years, he served as the Chairman of the research committee of the Deep Sea Fishing Authority (DSFA) Tanzania, a governmental organization responsible for scientific advice on matters related to deep-sea fisheries. Grayson has a PhD and MSc in marine science from University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Job Titles:
- Project Coordinator at Wildlife Conservation Society
Job Titles:
- Founder and Coordinator of MARE - Madeira
- Marine Ecologist and Founder and Coordinator of Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, MARE - Madeira, ARDITI, Portugal
João Canning-Clode is a marine ecologist from Madeira Island, Portugal. João is the founder and coordinator of MARE-Madeira and a Principal Investigator at the Regional Agency for the Development of Research Technology and Innovation (ARDITI). He is also a deputy director of MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, one of the largest R&D units in Portugal. He is the Principal Scientist and Scientific Coordinator of the Smithsonian MarineGEO NE Atlantic Madeira. João has a PhD in Biological Oceanography and Marine Sciences from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany and before founding the Canning-Clode Marine Lab (which would evolve into MARE-Madeira), he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), USA. João currently chairs the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group for Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms. João has authored more than 100 publications and his research has got media coverage in several countries.
Job Titles:
- Head of Science and Conservation, ORCA, UK
Lucy began her career as a cardiac nurse, but very soon her passion for the environment resulted in a dramatic career change and she has never looked back since. Today she works as Head of Science and Conservation for UK marine conservation charity ORCA. She is responsible for keeping ORCA at the cutting edge of citizen science research and making sure that people from all walks of life can play their part in protecting marine mammals. Lucy manages the network of ORCA volunteer citizen scientists to collect and interpret data from oceans around the globe. She works with government, researchers and industry to help shape conservation policy and shows different stakeholders how collectively we can create safer spaces for marine life. Lucy's true passion is for marine life, and having dedicated her life to protecting the ocean, she is determined to give others the same opportunity to take an active role in ocean conservation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager at WWF - US
- Senior Programme Manager at WWF - US, UK
Lucy Holmes is a Senior Program Manager at WWF-US, based in London. As part of the Markets and Finance team, Lucy focuses on levers and incentives for financial markets to align capital with sustainable seafood practices. She has been at WWF for four years and prior to that, Lucy managed the Marine Programme at the Prince of Wales's International Sustainability Unit (ISU) with a focus on financing the transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy. As part of this programme, she contributed to the development of the world's first Blue Bond, issued by the Government of Seychelles. She has authored and contributed to a number of reports including: Towards Investment in Sustainable Fisheries, A Framework for Financing the Transition and Risk and Opportunity: The Business Case for Sustainable Seafood. She holds a Masters of Science from Imperial College, London in Environmental Technology.
Job Titles:
- Provides Executive Coaching to the
Job Titles:
- Professor of Climate Studies
Sandy Tudhope is Professor of Climate Studies and is the University of Edinburgh's Lead on Climate Responsibility and Sustainability. His research and teaching focus on corals and corals reefs, on the nature and drivers of tropical climate variability and change, and on the potential for MPAs and alternative marine-based sustainable livelihood options to balance social and environmental needs.
Although based at the University of Edinburgh for the majority of his career, Sandy spent over ten years overseas, in the United States (University of Washington and University California Santa Barbara) and in Australia (Australian Institute of Marine Sciences). He has extensive experience in organising international expeditions and field courses, including in Melanesia, the Galápagos Islands, Jamaica and the Maldives. During a six-year tenure as Head of School, Sandy instigated and actively promoted a leadership programme for senior and aspiring academic and professional leaders.
Job Titles:
- Biotechnology Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Life Sciences Company, BioFeyn Inc, USA
- Founder and CEO of BioFeyn
Timothy is founder and CEO of BioFeyn, a life sciences company pioneering new forms of nutrient delivery to improve efficiencies for food systems and sustainability. Previously, he established several of the first programs in planetary health at the World Bank, investing in climate change, one health, and oceans. He has published and lectured widely on the relationship of human health to the environment and served as a regular advisor to governments, financial institutions, and industry. He has held fellowships with the US National Academy of Sciences, Rockefeller Foundation, and University of Exeter and has degrees in biology, bioethics, geography, and medicine from Tufts, Harvard, Oxford, and Duke.
Job Titles:
- Manager at Kenya Wildlife Service, Officer in Charge of Kiunga Marine Biosphere Reserve
Willys is a coastal ecosystem and marine protected area specialist with over 20 years of conservation experience in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean. Willys is currently the warden responsible for Kiunga Marine Biosphere Reserve with the Kenya Wildlife Service. He also oversees Dodori National Reserve, Boni National Reserve and other local community-led initiatives in Lamu County, Kenya. Willys previously had roles in Malindi Marine National Park and Kenya Coastal regional conservation headquarters as a licensing officer responsible for wildlife utilisation permitting. In 2022, he was part of the team which developed Kenya's first sea turtle protocol, a document to standardize sea turtle conservation in Kenya. He holds a degree in Management and Leadership (BML), diploma in Wildlife Management and a professional certification in integrated coastal management. Willys is certified as a MPA Pro by Western Indian Ocean Certification of Marine Protected Professionals (WIOCOMPAS) and management strategic champion in the Smart Seas Africa Network. He is the current coordinator of the Kenyan chapter of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Network (WIOMPAN).