Jamila Ben Souissi is a Tunisian scientist, PhD in marine science. Her research focuses on fisheries and their response to global warming. From her early scientific career, she was involved in several long-term surveys on invasion biology and ecology of marine fauna in the South Mediterranean Sea and engaged with scientists and experts in the development of innovative tools for tracking biodiversity changes. She has been elected co-chair for two mandates of the committee C5 Living Resources and Marine Environment of the Science Marine Council (CIESM). She is a coordinator of various international research projects funded by the EU. She is also Head of a Maghreb NGO of marine science and the focal point of a network dealing with environmental management, conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems.

Born and raised on a small island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Herland Cerveaux has from a young age developed an admiration for the ocean. Over the past 10 years, he has applied his expertise in development economics and passion for facilitating partnerships to the design and implementation of multi-country programs geared towards advancing the SDG agenda in African Small Island Developing States and coastal countries, both at an inter-governmental and private sector level.

His avid interest for entrepreneurship has led him to join OceanHub Africa’s team, where he currently leads the operations of the first and only Pan-African business Entrepreneurial Support Organisation dedicated to supporting the deployment of innovative ocean-impact solutions across the continent.

Asmerom Gilau is a Principal Research Scientist at Epsilon Innovation Group Inc. Gilau has more than 18 years of experience in the areas of environment, climate change, energy, blue economy, innovation, public policy, and risk analysis. Gilau is one of the lead authors of the Africa Blue Economy Strategy, Africa Blue Economy Strategy Implementation Plan, and Africa Blue Economy Strategy Governance Framework.

Gilau is advancing the application of ocean energy technologies and artificial intelligence powered big data analytics, and working on the intersection of science, technology, and policy for informed decision-making. Gilau holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy.

Prof. Amr Hamouda is the President of Marine Hazards Mitigation Center, Egypt,? and Vice-Chair of UNESCO-IOC. He also serves as the Vice Chairperson of ICG/NEAMTWS-UNESCO;? Chair of the WG on Tsunamis and Other Hazards related to Sea Level Warning and Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG) – UNESCO-IOC;? Director of the China Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center (CAMC); and ?Director of ISA-Egypt Joint Training and Research Center. ?In addition to this, Prof. Hamouda is the focal point of NEAMTWS Tsunami early warning system in Egypt; ?member of the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP); ?and Expert on the IOC Group of Capacity Development.?

He has managed more than 100 scientific national and international research projects. He is a member in the editorial board of many international scientific journals, and has published many scientific books and more than 80 scientific articles.

Prof. Amel Hamza-Chaffai is a full professor in biology at Sfax University in Tunisia where she teaches and supervises research. She is the Director of the Marine Ecotoxicology Research Unity of Sfax University and a member of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences. Prof. Chaffai is also a founder of a research NGO called Environment and Bio-Innovation.

Prof. Chaffai is Chairperson of the African and Adjacent Island States Taskforce.

Juliet Hermes leads a team focusing on observations, modelling and research of the ocean around southern Africa at the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON). She is a Professor at the University of Cape Town and the Nelson Mandela University where she focuses attention on capacity development through knowledge generation, sharing, and growing a diverse cohort of marine scientists.

Juliet has been part of the CLIVAR Indian Ocean Regional Panel, GEO Blue Planet, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, GCOS, IAPSO and the African Group Negotiators Experts Support. She supports global ocean observing systems through the GOOS Observation Coordination Group, and best practices through the IOC/GOOS Ocean Best Practices Group.

Dr. Kwame Koranteng is a former staff of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); former Eastern Africa Regional Representative of WWF and former staff and Director of the Marine Fisheries Research Division, Ghana. He has over forty years working experience in aquatic biodiversity assessment and management.

He served as a member of the UNESCO-IOC Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Living Marine Resources and Capacity Building panels, Chairman of the GOOS-Africa Coordinating Committee, and member of the Editorial Board of the Global Ocean Science Report 2020. He coordinated work on the preparation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science Gap Analysis report for Africa. He also served as Chairman of the FAO Advisory Committee on Fishery Research.

He has been a part-time lecturer and external examiner at the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast (Ghana). He has published widely in international scientific journals.

Viviane Koutob is a legal professional with over a decade of experience in ocean governance and sustainability development across the African region, specialising in international maritime law, marine and environmental law, regulatory frameworks, and regional policy development. She is also committed to advancing legally sound and cooperative approaches to ocean protection and promoting the blue economy in Africa.

Sophia Laarissa is a PhD researcher in the Law of the Sea at Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco. She coordinates the ECOP Africa Ocean Literacy Hub and ECOP Morocco, and contributes to multiple pan-African initiatives. Her work focuses on ocean governance, youth engagement, and inclusive ocean literacy across Africa.I remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.

Dr. Hassan Moustahfid is a Senior Marine Scientist at NOAA’s IOOS, with over 26 years of international experience in ocean observing, ecosystem modeling, and sustainable marine
governance. He leads the development of cost-effective ocean observing systems, integrated data initiatives, and modeling and forecasting programs to support decision-making and adaptive ecosystem-based management. Dr. Moustahfid chairs the Science Committees of Morocco’s Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH) and the Halieutis Science Conference. He is an active contributor to international committees and working groups, including GEO Blue Planet, and co-leads the Africa Blue Belt Initiative, which addresses overfishing, climate change and promoting sustainable ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries and aquaculture. He also recently contributed to the Africa Key Messages for the 2025 United Nations Conference.

Dr. Moustahfid is committed to advancing science-policy integration, fostering innovation, and promoting inclusive partnerships for evidence-based ocean sustainability. Previously, he served as Senior Natural Resources Officer at the UN FAO, where he led global assessments in critical marine areas and coordinated GEF programs focused on Large Marine Ecosystems and the Common Ocean initiative, promoting the sustainable use of marine resources and biodiversity conservation in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction. A recognized leader in African ocean sustainability, Dr. Moustahfid has made significant contributions to the UN Ocean Decade’s Africa and Adjacent Islands Taskforce, where he served as Vice-President and co-led the SEAWARD Programme, which provides a coordinated framework for implementing the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap.

His expertise spans a broad range of disciplines, from ocean data stewardship and ecosystem modeling to AI/ML-driven ocean data applications and sustainable marine management, with a strong focus on science-policy integration and inclusive governance.

Dr. Moustahfid is Vice-Chairperson of the African and Adjacent Island States Taskforce.

Dr. Richard Nyiawung is an Interdisciplinary Social Scientist with a PhD in Geography and International Development Studies and an MA in Environmental Policy. He has over 10 years of professional experience working with governments, practitioners, academics, and communities on ocean governance and ocean related economic and livelihood activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America. He serves as a member of the United Nations Pool of Expert – Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, contributing to the development of the Third Word Ocean Assessment (WOA III) report. He is also part of the Advisory Group for the Marine Stewardship Council working group on producers’ empowerment in developing economies. He was a Human and Planetary Health Scholar at Stanford University, USA, and currently an Adjunct Professor and Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Dr. Madeleine Nyiratuza is the UNDP Regional Technical Advisor for Water, Ocean Governance, Ecosystems and Biodiversity. She is an environmental practitioner with over 17 years of experience working with International NGOs and the UN system. Her current work focuses on resource mobilization and provision of advisory services to UNDP Country Offices, governments, African Union Commission, Regional Economic Commissions, Inter-governmental Organizations, International NGOs, and other partners across Africa on integrated transboundary water resources management, sustainable management of large marine ecosystems, sustainable blue economy, improved ocean governance, biodiversity conservation and ecosystems restoration and management. ?Madeleine possesses a Master of Science in Environmental Management and Development and a PhD in Environmental Planning and Management. She fluently speaks English and French.

Dr. Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood is an ocean governance and maritime security expert and a Lecturer in Sustainable Futures at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She serves as Women, Peace, and (Maritime) Security Advisor (West Africa) for the UNODC-Global Maritime Crime Programme and is a PEW Marine Fellow (2023-2026). Her current research focuses on equitable resource governance through the integration of local and Indigenous knowledge.

Ifesinachi Okafor is Vice-Chairperson of the African and Adjacent Island States Taskforce.

Dr. Essowè Panassa is a junior researcher and lecturer at the University of Kara in Togo, within the Department of Physics. After successfully completing his training at the NF-POGO Ocean Observation Excellence Center in 2014, he pursued his doctoral studies at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, which he completed in 2018. Following his PhD, Essowé served as a postdoctoral researcher and teaching assistant at the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Kiel, Germany. During his doctoral research, Dr. Panassa analyzed the role of mixed layer depth and subduction processes on the carbon and nutrient cycles in the Southern Ocean. Currently, his research activities aim to better understand the key physical processes that influence biogeochemistry in the Togolese marine environment, with the goal of proposing sustainable management solutions for our oceans and marine ecosystems in response to anthropogenic and natural pressures.

Currently, supported by the global NANO-DOAP ocean observation project—which focuses on coastal deoxygenation, acidification, and marine productivity—Dr. Panassa has established a marine station off the coast of Togo. He monitors essential ocean variables on a monthly and bi-monthly basis. Committed to advancing ocean observation systems and strengthening local capacities in marine sciences, he also contributed to the creation of Togo’s first undergraduate program in Oceanography and its applications at the University of Kara.

Additionally, Essowé is involved in projects with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), serving as project coordinator for initiatives on carbon sequestration in marine ecosystems and plastic pollution monitoring in coastal areas. Since 2022, he has been designated as Togo’s focal point for UNESCO-IOC by the Ministry of Higher Education, to facilitate Togo’s contribution to IOC activities and its vision as a member country.

Karuna Rana is a Fulbright Scholar and award-winning social entrepreneur from Mauritius, committed to advancing an equitable, sustainable blue economy in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—or Big Ocean States (BOS). She is the Founding Director of the Big Ocean States Initiative (BOSI), a pan-SIDS, community-led organization catalyzing ocean innovation, impact, and leadership across islands worldwide. Through BOSI, she is spearheading the world’s first global ocean incubator and network for island-based blue innovators, alongside a regional initiative tackling upstream plastic pollution in African islands. With nearly 15 years of experience across science, policy, business, and community engagement—mainly in African SIDS—Karuna also co-founded SYAH, the only regional organization dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability across seven African and Asian SIDS.

Growing up in a coastal town and starting his career as a Naval Officer, the business of the ocean was always going to feature somewhere in Jaco Stemmet’s life. Following a BSc degree from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, he spent a year as a naval exchange officer with the French Navy. With the Hydrographic Service, he qualified as a IHO Cat A surveyor through Plymouth University.

Since joining Fugro in 2006 as an offshore surveyor, Jaco has been part and managed many projects ranging from geophysical, geotechnical, hydrographic, seismic and positioning and construction support. Various management positions in a variety of African countries have developed him into taking on the role of Regional Business Line Director Europe-Africa for Fugro where he is currently based out of The Netherlands.

Mwangi Theuri is a project manager at the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, hosted by UNEP, with several years of work experience in projects design, formulation and implementation. He previously worked in community rehabilitation of degraded mangrove habitats in Kenya and supported development of coastal and marine resources atlases for the Eastern African region, including the Kenya oil spill sensitivity atlas. He actively participated in the production of UNEP’s Global Environmental Alert Service, identifying the status and trends of the global environment on emerging policy relevant environmental issues, and communicating to decision makers and the international community. Theuri contributed to the UNESCO-IOC ODINAFRICA initiative leading to the African Marine Atlas. He managed and coordinated implementation of the environmental components of the partnership project between the Nairobi Convention and the FAO/SWIOFC on ocean governance and fisheries management for sustainable blue growth during 2019-2023.

He is currently coordinating implementation of the Nairobi Convention priority areas in the ACP MEAs 3 Programme (on ocean governance, biodiversity conservation, and pollution), and coordinating environmental and governance components the second phase of? FAO/SWIOFC Nairobi Convention Partnership for Resilient Marine and Coastal Ecosystems and Livelihoods (2023-2027). Theuri studied Botany and Zoology, has a master’s in marine ecology and a Diploma in environmental management, International Management Training Institute, Galille College, Israel.

Dr. Jacqueline Uku is a Principal Researcher and Ag. Director for Ocean and Coastal Systems & the Blue Economy? at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. She is the Co-chair of the Editorial Board for the development of the 3rd Edition of the Global Ocean Science Report? and a Member of the Ocean Literacy Group of Experts?. Dr. Uku also serves as a Lead Expert under the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy?, and is the National Coordinator for Marine Spatial Planning in Kenya.

Dr Bruno Sainte-Rose is the Lead Computational Modeler at The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch foundation that develops solutions to rid the world’s oceans of plastics. He currently leads a team of computational modelers and oceanographers to build numerical tools to predict and monitor the efficiency of ocean cleanup systems.

Bruno graduated as an Aerospace Engineer (2006) and holds a PhD in Energetics (2010) from Ecole CentraleSupelec. Specialized in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Bruno has worked for 5 years, after finishing his PhD, for a Computational Fluid Dynamics software and consulting company called LEMMA in France and in the United States, where he helped build the American subsidiary.

During his time at LEMMA and at The Ocean Cleanup, Bruno had the opportunity to build and work on several institutional projects (CNES, ESA, EU) and developed collaborations with research centers and scientists coming from renowned institutions (MARIN, Deltares, TU Delft, University of Oxford, London Business School, MIT, Stanford, Johns Hopkins University, University of Utrecht).

Finally, he was raised and currently lives in Martinique and has a strong interest in coastal protection against oceanic threats (tsunami, sea-level rise, Sargassum) experienced in the Caribbean region.

Carleen Lyden Walker is the Co-Founder and CEO of NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association) leveraging off her experience as a marketing and communications professional in the commercial maritime industry with over 40 years of experience. She specializes in identifying, developing, and implementing strategic marketing and communications programs that increase the visibility and effectiveness of NAMEPA as well as the development of educational resources promoting marine environment protection. She works to develop strategic alliances between industry, regulators, conservation groups and educators to “Save the Seas”.

In 2015, Ms. Walker was appointed a Goodwill Maritime Ambassador by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). She is a member of the Connecticut Maritime Association, the Marine Society of the City of New York, WIMAC (Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean) and is a Past-President of the Propeller Club Chapter of the Port of NY/NJ. She is also a member of the Pathways Advisory Committee at the Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore, is a trustee of the US Friends of the World Maritime University and is consistently listed among the top 100 women in maritime globally.

Ms. Walker is also Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Marketing & Communications, Chief Evolution Officer for SHIPPINGInsight, Founder and Co-Lead of CARIBMEPA, and the Co-Founder of the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage. In 2010, she was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the United States Coast Guard and in 2014 a Public Service Commendation for her work on World Maritime Day and AMVER, respectively. In March of this year, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the Coast Guard for her work with both NAMEPA and SHIPPINGINSIGHT.

Ms. Walker graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in Political Science and History (minor in Economics) and studied Accounting at Cornell School of Business Administration. She is a trained facilitator and media trainer and held a USCG Captain’s license. A book on maritime security which she co-authored is being released in early 2024.

Carmen Lacambra is founding partner and director of research and environmental services at Grupo Laera, a specialized consulting company with headquarters in Colombia. Carmen has near 30 years of experience in research, design, training, and evaluation of projects in sustainable development focusing mostly on marine and coastal ecosystems resilience, conservation, fisheries, climate change adaptation, coastal zone management, disasters risk reduction and agriculture. Carmen has directed and participated in global, regional and local projects across America, Asia, Africa and Europe, with multiple public and private agencies. Carmen is a Biologist from the Los Andes University in Bogota, with a MsC in Science and Management of Estuarine and Coastal Zones from the University of Hull and, a doctorate in Geography from the University of Cambridge, UK.

Among other activities: guest lecturer for graduate and undergraduate programs at universities in Latin America, Spain and the UK; 47 technical and indexed publications, contributing author and scientific reviewer of the IPCC Report 5; +50 international conferences and talks; mentor of Queen Elizabeth’s students; member of the technical groups of coastal zones and resilience advising Green Climate Bonds; co-author in the RIOACC initiative; technical evaluator of the Green Climate Fund projects; member of the steering scientific committee in the ICOMOS initiative Preserving Legacies; and member of the Board of the Interdisciplinary Global Development Center at the University of York.

Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade works for US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the Deputy Director of the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC) and Manager of its Caribbean Office in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. For several decades she has been engaged in establishing and strengthening end to end early warning systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Von Hillebrandt-Andrade is focused on advancing tsunami preparedness for and resilience to tsunamis in the US, the Caribbean and globally through programs like the UNESCO IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme and the Ocean Decade.

Christa is currently the Chair of Working Group 3 on Tsunami Warning Dissemination and Communication of the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System and other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions and also the Scientific Committee for the Ocean Decade Tsunami Program. von Hillebrandt-Andrade holds a BSC in Geology from the University of Delaware and a Master’s degree from the National Polytechnic School of Quito, Ecuador.

Mr Cabrera is retired from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) after 13 years as Chief Ocean Affairs Division and being responsible for the implementation of the Marine Meteorology and Oceanography Programme. Previously he had a successful career of 25 years + as a naval commissioned officer and physical oceanographer, serving in technical, scientific, academic, operational, and senior positions in the Colombian Navy and National Maritime Authority.

After his retirement from WMO, he had performed as register consultant, expert, lecturer with the IMO, UNCTAD, and the IOC of UNESCO in the programmes/projects related to Hydrology, Meteorology, Climate, Disaster Risk Reduction and Marine activities, and served as Member of the Ocean Decade Regional Planning Group for the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region.

Flavio Nogueira Pinheiro de Andrade is a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) working on the Ocean Business for more than 30 years with extensive experience on the shipbuilding, fisheries, shipping, oil spill preparedness and response, environmental services, offshore supply vessel and oceanographic survey sectors. Flavio is the founder and CEO of OceanPact, a Brazilian listed maritime services company.

Flavio was born in 1964 in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives with his wife, has two sons and one daughter, a post graduate degree in Petroleum Business by COPPE/UFRJ and speaks English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Flavio is also an enthusiastic amateur sailor and diver.

Jeffrey Bernus is a Caribbean marine biologist specializing in the conservation of marine megafauna. He grew up in Martinique, where dive after dive he saw how human interaction was destroying the marine ecosystem and decided to dedicate his life to protect it. After several international experiences in the Bahamas, Canada and Australia, he returned to the Lesser Antilles to apply his knowledge of ecological management and biostatistics in different protected areas, such as the National Park of Guadeloupe or the Agoa Sanctuary.

He then led the creation of a network for the preservation of marine mammals in the Caribbean. Since whales and dolphins do not recognize human boundaries, he decided to be found, with other local biologists, the Caribbean Cetacean Society, an NGO dedicated to cooperation, research and education to improve cetacean conservation.

For the past three years, he has been leading the largest standardized whale and dolphin monitoring program in the Caribbean region. His work consists of fostering inter-island cooperation, supporting the creation of new MPAs, improving knowledge of human impact, and developing education so that future generations can protect our natural heritage through capacity building. Jeffrey is also an underwater photographer, with more than 4000 dives.

Loreto Duffy-Mayers is a distinguished professional with extensive expertise in the fields of Tourism, Environmental Sustainability, Climate change and Energy Efficiency. Hailing from a diverse background of Irish and Barbadian heritage, she has dedicated her career to fostering positive change in the Caribbean region and beyond.

With an excellent track record, Loreto has held pivotal roles in various regional programmes. She has served as the Project Lead for the United Nations Environment’s Caribbean Cooling Initiative, a visionary project that addressed energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions in the cooling sector across Caribbean nations.

Loreto’s passion for sustainable tourism has driven her to contribute significantly to the development of eco-friendly practices in the Caribbean hospitality industry. Notably, she managed the IDB Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programme (CHENACT), fostering energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions in the region’s hotels.

A prolific speaker, Loreto has presented at numerous international conferences, sharing her insights on sustainable tourism, the environment, energy, and climate change. Beyond her professional achievements, Loreto is actively involved in various committees and organizations dedicated to sustainability. She is a Board Member of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism and The Ocean Thermal Energy Association.

Loreto’s commitment to creating a greener and more resilient future for the Caribbean has earned her numerous awards in The Caribbean for both energy and tourism. Her holistic approach, combined with exceptional communication and leadership skills, continues to make a lasting impact in the fields of tourism, environment, and energy.

Mariana Andrade is an oceanographer actively engaged in the science, policy, and practice of ocean governance. She holds a Master’s degree in marine conservation and is a former United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellow and an All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador.

Currently member of the National Decade Committee for the Ocean Decade in Brazil, she is also committed to UNESCO Ocean Decade Strategic Communications Group and the Brazilian Node for the Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme. Mariana is co-founder of Bloom Ocean and the Women’s League for the Ocean.

Ruth Spencer aims to empower local groups, increasing their visibility to achieve national and international recognition across the GEF Focal Areas. She advocates for the incorporation of local knowledge into the overall decision-making process. One of her key interests lies in appropriate technologies that enhance the quality of life for people, particularly in the areas of wind and solar energy, where she has successfully piloted initiatives at the local level.

Recipient of numerous awards, including the inaugural Award from the Government of Antigua-Dept. of Gender Affairs for Energy, and the Environment Award on International Women’s Day 2018, the 2015 Energy Globe Award, and Finalist for the 2018 Caricom Energy Personality Award, her accolades attest to her multi-disciplined work connecting various processes at local, regional, and international levels. She has authored several case studies and holds appointments to various national and international working groups and committees.

She serves as a mentor to Yale Graduate students and holds a position on the Board of Directors of the Yale International Alliance, leading the newly launched YIA Climate and Sustainability Impact Group. Nominated by the WMG of UNEP in October 2022, she now guides the policy relevance of Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-7) as a member of the Intergovernmental and Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (IMAG) over the next 2 ? years.

In June of the same year, she was appointed as an Advisory Board Member of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and reappointed as an Advisory Board Member of the UN Women’s Civil Society Advisory Group for the Caribbean.

Alejandro Acosta is a fisheries biologist with a background in reef ecology and management. In his work, he has examined tropical reef fisheries, community structure, and stock assessment of reef, mangrove and estuarine fishes. His research uses a blend of innovative field, laboratory and analytical techniques, focusing on fundamental and applied issues related to fishes and fisheries that range in scale from individual species to entire ecosystems. His research is tailored to meet current and anticipated management needs which regularly result in management recommendations in the face of increasing climate and anthropogenic impacts.

Dr. Acosta is a member of stock assessment technical working groups for State, Federal and Regional agencies; a technical adviser for the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program; an active member of the UN Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) for the Species working group; and a member of the WECAFC Technical working group for fish spawning aggregations.

He holds a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from University of Puerto Rico, a M.S. in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Pathology from University of Rhode Island, U.S., and a B.S. in Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology from University of Rhode Island, U.S.

Tadzio Berboets has been involved in various local and regional conservation initiatives, including project lead on the Coral Reef Ecosystem Valuation Project of the British Government for Bermuda, coral conservation projects in Tanzania East Africa and Marine Park Manager in St. Eustatius.

He served as the Director for the St Maarten Nature Foundation where he was instrumental in establishing the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area, St. Maarten’s first and only National Park. Tadzio is the former Director of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, a Network Organization that supports nature conservation on all six islands of the Dutch Caribbean. He is currently a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) establishing Blue Carbon Sequestration Schemes for Mangrove and Seagrass ecosystems in the wider Caribbean Region, member of the United Nation’s Caribbean Environment Program’s Specially Protected Areas Technical Committee.

Bervoets is the first Dutch Caribbean Member of the prestigious Explorers Club and an awardee of the McFarlane Award for Conservation Leadership in the Insular Caribbean. He has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and NGO Management from the University of South Florida and a Master’s degree from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in environmental resource management with a specialty in coral reef ecosystems.

Tania M. Velásquez has experience in local development and international cooperation, standing out as a researcher specialized in transboundary waters and as an environmental activist. In addition, she is an active part of organizations dedicated to youth empowerment, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through her participation in Sustenta Honduras and MGCY.

She has represented Honduras in various climate conferences and events related to the oceans. Her work extends to various areas, covering the social, environmental, and political issues. Currently, she plays the role of UN consultant in Brazil, demonstrating her continued commitment to environmental global issues.

Tracey Edwards is a social/environmental entrepreneur, founder of Plakortis: Business’ Environmental Sustainability Coaching Services, since 2018. She has over 16 years’ experience in the environment and sustainability sector: contributing to coastal and marine conservation, climate change and disaster risk management. An advocate, and educator she has contributed her knowledge and expertise to varied organisations across the Caribbean, inclusive of: The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), French and Dominica Red Cross, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The University of the West Indies (UWI), HelpAge International Jamaica and the Government of Grenada/Carriacou as MPA Manager for the Sandy Island Marine Management Area.

Tracey’s career begun as a junior scientific officer at the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, UWI, where she quickly engaged in the design and implementation of environment/marine education programmes, summer eco camps in schools and communities. Building on her background in marine biology and geography she retains her interest by supporting biodiversity and natural resource protection, climate change vulnerability risk to various sectors, including agriculture, community livelihoods, monitoring water quality trends, health status of corals and mangroves and the impact of pollutants on these critical nearshore bodies. Tracey has a strong commitment to community development, agricultural and business sustainability, land use management, pollution reduction and research.

Lorna Inniss holds an MS degree in Environmental Planning and Management, a post-graduate diploma in Business Management, and a Ph.D in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences. She has been working in the field of coastal and marine science and management for 30 years, with her most recent posting as Coordinator of the UNEP Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) and the Caribbean Environment Programme, located in Kingston Jamaica.

Previously, she also worked for 23 years with the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Ministry of Environment, Government of Barbados. She worked as the Joint Coordinator of a Group of Experts established by the United Nations General Assembly to deliver the first Integrated World Ocean Assessment. She was twice elected Vice Chair of the IOCARIBE Board and also served as the first Chair of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunamis and Coastal Hazards Warning System in the Caribbean. She currently serves as head of IOCARIBE.

Mr Christopher Corbin, a Saint Lucian national born in Barbados, has over 30 years of national and regional programme and project management experience. He assumed duties as Senior Coordination Officer on 1st September 2022.

He joined UNEP in September 2004 and has served as the Programme Manager for the Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP) Sub-Programme.

Since 2015, he has also managed the Secretariat’s Communication, Education, Training and Awareness (CETA) Sub-Programme where, among other responsibilities, he has coordinated the organization and delivery of intergovernmental meetings of the Secretariat.

Dr Yvette Diei-Ouadi holds a veterinary doctorate, from the Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire in Nantes, in France. She has over twenty-five years of experience in efficiency enhancement of fisheries value chain.

Dr Diei-Ouadi is the Fishery and Aquaculture Officer of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) subregional office for the Caribbean, based in Barbados, that she joined in July 2018, following 14 years of assignment in FAO Headquarters (Rome/Italy). She coordinates as well the Secretariat of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), a regional fishery body which promotes the effective conservation, management and development of the living marine resources of its area of competence.

Within her current assignment, she has been coordinating the provision of technical assistance to Caribbean countries, leading on projects and programmes implementation, partnership building and mobilizing funding for a range of multidisciplinary and intersectoral interventions of relevance to achieving the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, to include but not limited to ocean governance, fisheries management, resilient and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.