United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)

Executive Planning Group

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The Executive Planning Group (EPG) is an expert group composed of 16 to 20 members who will serve as an advisory body to the IOC governing bodies to support the development of the Implementation Plan as well as the preparatory activities of the Decade.

They were nominated through an open call for nominations and serve in their personal capacity.

The EPG will meet at least twice during its term, once during each of the IOC intersessional periods 2018–19 and 2019–20. The summaries of these meetings will be made available on the Decade website. The first meeting is scheduled between 17 and 19 December 2018 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

The IOC Secretariat will provide administrative, technical and editorial support as required by the Planning Group. Each year, starting in 2019, the EPG will submit a report of its activities to the IOC governing bodies, the United Nations General Assembly, as well as to UN-Oceans.

The EPG and its membership is appointed for the duration of the work with the Implementation Plan and is not anticipated to be active beyond 2020, after the presentation of the Implementation Plan to the United Nations General Assembly for consideration during its 75th session.

Francisco A. Arias-Isaza

Director General, Institute for Marine and Coastal Research, Colombia

Francisco A. Arias-Isaza

All my career has been devoted to marine sciences. Once I finished my basic studies joined the Navy which in that moment was the main institution conducting oceanographical ressearch in Colombia. There I was able to develop my research interests as well to prepare myself into other disciplines and administrative skills.

In 1993 Colombia decided to establish a national environmental system, known for its definition in Spanish as “SINA”. A fundamental decision was the creation of a set of supporting science and technology institutions one of which the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (Marine and Coastal Research Institute), or INVEMAR, is responsible for marine and coastal issues.

In 1995 the institute was legally established, I was appointed as the first General Director through a public call process. My duties since then have been oriented towards the designing and development of an institution suitable to attend the assigned mission which reads: “…to conduct basic and applied research about the marine and coastal resources of interest for the country towards the sustainable management of its ecosystems and to give scientific advice to decision makers”.

Starting in 1995 with only a handfull of researchers, nowdays INVEMAR has a number of 260 persons commited with the development of different lines of research. The institute is covering research over 5 general programs of work: Biodiversity, Marine Geosciences, Marine Pollution, Use of Marine Ressources and Coastal Management.

The institute is conducting research along all coastal areas of Colombia and abroad within cooperation agreements with neighbor countries. INVEMAR has gained a well known national and international reputation as a leading institution especially in Latin American and the Caribbean Region. INVEMAR has a budget that evolved from US$400.000 to actual US$20.000.000 for the last fiscal year, allocated from different sources both from national and international origin.

INVEMAR has also established strong links with universities. The institute acts as campus site for three major national academic programs: a M. Sc. and Ph. D. in Marine Biology with the National University of Colombia and a Ph. D. in Marine Sciences which is run in a consortium with other six universities. The institute also hosts the Ocean Teacher Academy for UNESCO for the Latin American Region.

In terms of my scientific activities I have been the leader of the Integrated Coastal Zone Research Group of INVEMAR, a multidisciplinary set of individuals that has produced more than 100 publications in the last 15 years. The group has placed and lead the conceptual layout of the national policy on coastal management and the different developments that has enriched the sound management of coastal zones in the country, examples of which are: the establishment of new marine protected áreas, the declaration of the Sea Flower Biosphere Reserve, the vulnerability definition of coastal áreas of the country related to climate change, the adaptation plans for Cartagena de Indias, San Andres and other coastal cities, the information networks for monitoring of different environmental indicators, among other achievements. Finally I have been supporting negociations of Colombia in different environmental international scenario, such as the Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ramsar, and other regional agreements.
Elva Escobar Briones

Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico

Elva Escobar Briones

Prof. Escobar is a research scientist from the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico. As a member of the Ecology and Aquatic biodiversity academic unit she contributes with knowledge in biological oceanography studying the marine biodiversity and macroecology of the seabed ecosystems in the Mexican EEZ. She teaches and directs undergraduate and graduate student theses and carries out cruises to record long term changes in the Gulf of Mexico abyssal plain. She is actively publishing in peer reviewed journals books and chapters. With colleagues from the international deep sea scientific community she engaged to help creating Deep Sea Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) seeking to integrate science, technology, policy, law and economics to advise on ecosystem-based management of resource use in the deep ocean and strategies to maintain the integrity of deep-ocean ecosystems within and beyond national jurisdiction.

Among the honors and awards to her work she has been recognized a member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores and the University PRIDE D, UAM’s 2017 best graduated fellow, scientific expert elected member to the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority, participant in the Census of marine life program, expert to contribute to the EBSA program of the Biodiversity Convention, expert member to the IPCC for the structuring of the special report “Oceans and Cryosphere”. She is currently the Director of UNAM’s Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology for a second term.
Karen Evans

Senior Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia

Karen Evans

Dr Karen Evans is a Team Leader and senior research scientist with CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere based in Hobart, Tasmania. She is involved in research focused on improving scientific understanding and developing options to improve marine resource management, particularly in relation to national and international fisheries. She also leads research aimed at improving reporting of biodiversity assessments at national, regional and global scales and providing baseline information for assessing the impacts of oil and gas activities on the marine environment.

Karen’s expertise and international reputation has seen her contribute to UN regular processes such as the Integrated Global Assessment of the Marine Environment, including Socio-economic Aspects and the World Meteorological Organisation Joint CAgM/JCOMM Task Team on Weather, Climate and Fisheries. She is co-chair of the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research project’s regional programme ‘Climate Impacts on Top Predators’ (CLIOTOP) and an associate editor of the Proceeding of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Kristina Gjerde

Senior High Seas Advisor, Global Marine and Polar Programme, IUCN

Kristina Gjerde" class

Kristina M. Gjerde J.D. is the Senior High Seas Advisor to IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme, adjunct professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas High Seas Specialist Group and co-lead of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI), a multidisciplinary scientific partnership.

Kristina received her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law with a focus on comparative and international law, and practiced admiralty law for several years in a New York law firm. For almost 30 years, Kristina has worked on the progressive development of public international law relating to the marine environment, with a growing focus since 2003 on the high seas and international seabed Area. Additionally, her research topics include shipping, fishing, seabed mining, area-based management tools including marine protected areas, marine genetic resources, ocean institutions and ocean impacts of climate change and geoengineering.

Kristina has authored or co-authored over 150 publications. In addition to spearheading IUCN’s delegation at international ocean meetings, she also sits on the boards of several scientific partnerships including DOSI, the Deep Ocean Observation Strategy, the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative and the trans-Atlantic Ocean Observation project known as AtlantOS. Most recently, she has joined the policy advisory board of MiCO, a repository that collects spatial data on migratory corridors to investigate the connectivity between high seas and EEZ habitats, led by Duke University’s Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab. From 2013-2016, Kristina was part of the EU funded MIDAS project—Managing Impacts of Deep Sea Resource Exploitation as the work package leader focused on the legal and institutional frameworks and led development of the final report “Implications of MIDAS research results for policy makers: implications for future regulations.” (www.eu-midas.net).
Anna Jöborn

Director, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Science Affairs Department, Sweden

Anna Jöborn

Dr Anna Jöborn is currently Director for the Science Affairs Department at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The Agency is giving policy advice to the national government and is responsible for coordinating the national implementation of water and marine management including fisheries in Sweden. As Director she is leading 4 units responsible for international affairs including Agenda 2030 (SDG 6 and 14), financing of analysis, research and innovation, coordination of marine and water monitoring and communication of the daily work of the Agency to specific target groups and the civic society.

Her team is also involved in the work with UN and regional conventions i.e. UNCLOS, CBD, the Arctic Council (PAME) and CCMLR. She has more than 20-years of working experience from dealing with sustainable management of natural resources as director and project leader and has always worked in the interface between the science-policy-business with the aim to bridge the gaps and support action.
Suzan Kholeif

President, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt

Suzan Kholeif

Prof. Suzan Kholeif is an oceanographer, marine geologist and ecologist. She holds a PhD in Marine Geology from Cairo University in 1999. Since 1994, she has been working as a Marine Geologist researcher, professor and consultant in National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Egypt. She is a published author & holds a strong track record of publications which include monitoring of coastal waters, shore protection, climate, sea level changes and natural resources management as well as Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).

She gained skills in developing and managing both managerial and scientific technical tasks, as is demonstrated through her work experience in the role of Director of Scientific Documentation and Media Unit at NIOF; head of Marine Geology and Geophysics Lab; Director of Mediterranean Sea branch, NIOF Alexandria, Egypt; Member of scientific Committee at National Council for Women; President of NIOF, as well as across participation and coordination several national and international projects and consultations in the field of Marine Environment, Climate Change, Fisheries Management and Integrated Coastal zone Management [for instance; " assess and predict changes in the Mediterranean and Black Seas ecosystems as part of the FP6 project “SESAME” (2007-2011) ); AQUAMED project (12/03/2010 -12/03/2014); FORCE" (2011-2014); MEDINA “Marine Dynamic Indicators of North Africa “MEDINA” (2010-2014); Advisory Board member of FP7 project "Fostering sustainability and uptake of research results through Networking activities in Black Sea & Mediterranean areas “IASON" (2013-214); People for Ecosystem Based Governance in Assessing Sustainable Development of Ocean and Coast “PEGASO” (2010-2014)].

She also acquired a solid reputation as expert in marine environment, both at national and international levels (eg, EU bodies, SME companies, international environment protection organizations,..), particularly in the water resources monitoring and planning in Mediterranean countries (particularly in Egypt and North African countries) in the last 10 years, by developing guidelines for sustainable use and innovation methodology for management of wild resources, focusing on ecological cycles of the aquatic resources in the Mediterranean.

She built up a solid reputation as a consultant in marine environment, climate change, monitoring of marine water, Marine Spatial Planning and ICZM, both international and national (eg, consultant for, IASON, MIRA, ERAMEDNET, ECAP-Med, Wageningen, Netherland and GeoImaging Ltd, Cyprus, and UNEP).
Jens Krüger

Manager, Ocean Affairs, Pacific Community, Fiji

Jens Krüger

Jens joined the Pacific Community, SPC, in 2004, where he manages multi-disciplinary applied research projects and leads the regional maritime boundaries programme of work. He has a particular interest in coastal hazard risk assessments and the use of these in managing the development challenges of Pacific Small Island Developing States.

Jens is a graduate of the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, and completed a MSc at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He has over 20 years of experience in marine surveys, coastal oceanography and project management.

Jens has worked in over 20 countries, and similarly diverse ocean environments and survey platforms, ranging from the horizontal sleet storms of the north Atlantic to the sweltering heat of the Arabian Sea, and on seismic vessels as well as dugout canoes. This work in industry and with intergovernmental organisations has resulted in more than 80 publications including technical reports, maps, scientific papers and book chapters.
Youn-Ho Lee

Professor/Principal Research Scientist, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Republic of Korea

Youn-Ho Lee

Youn-Ho Lee is the professor and principal research scientist at the marine ecosystem research center of Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). He also holds the Vice-chair of Korea Oceanographic Commission, a member of the Korea national committee for sustainable development, a member of the policy advisory committee for Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, and an advisory group member for IOC Sub-commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC).

His research areas include molecular ecology, population genetics, evolution and conservation of marine organisms. He has engaged in development and execution of international scientific programs including Census of Marine Life, Ocean Biogeographic Information System, Fish Barcode of Life, and Yeosu Project. He served as an editorial board member of the Global Ocean Science Report, Vice-chair of WESTPAC, a member of the big and public science committee for Korea National Science and Technology Commission, and Director General of the research strategy division of KIOST.

He graduated and received M.Sc. in Oceanography from Seoul National University and obtained Ph.D. in Marine Biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Margaret Leinen

Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography/Vice Chancellor, University of California-San Diego, United States

Margaret Leinen

Dr Margaret Leinen is the Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Vice Chancellor for Marine Science of University of California at San Diego. Scripps Institution is one of the largest oceanographic research institutes. Dr. Leinen is an ocean biogeochemist and paleoceanographer whose research includes study of ocean carbon cycling and the role of the oceans in climate. She is also the former President of the American Geophysical Union, the largest geoscience society in the world, and has also served as the President of The Oceanography Society and Chair of the AAAS Section on Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Science.

She served as Assistant Director for Geosciences, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2000-2007. She has been the Vice Chair of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme, Chair of the US Global Change Research Program and Vice Chair of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. She recently completed a two year term as a U.S. Science Envoy for Ocean Science to Latin America and the Pacific nations.
Atmanand Malayath

Director, National Institute of Ocean Technology, India/Chair, IOCINDIO (UNESCO)
Atmanand Malayath

Dr M.A. Atmanand, currently the Director of National Institute of Ocean Technology has done pioneering work in the area of deep sea technologies in India. He led a team of Engineers for the design and development of underwater crawler for deep sea operation. He and his team developed the in-situ soil tester which was tested at a depth of 5200 m in the Central Indian Ocean Basin. Dr. Atmanand has taken this challenge further to design and implement a work class Remotely Operable Vehicle (ROV) that can be used for assisting the mining operations, gas hydrates site for validation of presence of methane, pipeline inspection etc. This was later tested at a depth of 5289 m water depth.

It was under his supervision that India’s first Polar under water mooring observatory and Polar Remotely Operable Vehicle (PROV) was developed and tested. The mooring was established at Kongsfjorden in Arctic region. The Polar ROV was tested successfully at the Priyadarshini lake at Antarctica. He has also guided various indigenization programmes for Ocean observation and under water systems. His areas of interest include:

Development of underwater vehicles with specific reference to their control

Development of newer Ocean Observation systems

Development of components for deep sea applications

Development of test protocols for testing of deep sea devices

Blue Economy

Project Management

Dr M.A.Atmanand has published more than 110 papers including International Journals, International conferences, Book chapter, National Conference and others (https://bit.ly/2rUS0GL). He is an Associate Editor of IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering. He received IEEE Oceanic Engineering presidential Award in 2016, National Geoscience award 2010 from Ministry of Mines and the International Society for Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE) Ocean Mining Symposium award in the year 2009.

He is currently Chair of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Regional Committee for the Central Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO) of UNESCO. He is Chair of IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society Technology committee on Cables and Connectors. He is the founder Chair of IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society in India. He has also served IEEE Madras Section in various capacities. He has widely travelled in capacities like technology transfer, as part of delegations etc. to countries like France, Russia, USA, UK, Germany, Portugal, Korea, Japan, Mauritius, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. He received United Nations Fellowship in 1985.
Craig McLean

Assistant Administrator, National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, United States

Craig McLean

Craig McLean is responsible for NOAA’s research enterprise as the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. He also serves as the U.S. Representative to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and as the Co-chair of the U.S. European Union Marine Working Group, and in the US-Canada-EU North Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance under the Galway Statement.

Mr. McLean previously served in NOAA as Deputy Assistant Administrator of the National Ocean Service, the founding Director of NOAA’s Ocean Exploration program, and served in uniform for nearly 25 years in NOAA’s Commissioned Corps. Craig is also an attorney and has practiced marine resource law for NOAA.
Linwood Pendleton

Global Ocean Lead Scientist, World Wide Fund for Nature/International Chair of Excellence, European Institute for Marine Studies, Brest, France

Linwood Pendleton

Linwood Pendleton is the Global Ocean Lead Scientist at the World Wide Fund for Nature. He also holds the International Chair of Excellence at the European Institute for Marine Studies (part of the Laboratory of Excellence in Brest, France), a Senior Fellowship at Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions (NIEPS), and an Honorary Professorship at the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute.

Linwood has broad experience in marine conservation science with degrees in biology (William and Mary), ecology/evolution/behavior (Princeton), public administration (Harvard), and environmental economics (Yale). His work, both in academia and the real world, incorporates all of these fields and more.

Linwood was the founder of the Marine Ecosystem Services Partnership, he served as the Acting Chief Economist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 2011-2013, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. He has also collaborated with conservation organizations worldwide including here at WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, NRDC, and he served for nearly ten years on the Board of the Conservation Strategy Fund. He currently serves on the Science Advisory Committee of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, GEO Blue Planet steering committee, Marine GEOBON RCN, and the Blue Carbon Finance Working Group.
Fangli Qiao

First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, People's Republic of China

Fangli Qiao

Professor Dr Fangli Qiao has served and is serving on several national and international advisory committees. Currently he is the vice-chair of IOC/WESTPAC, the Governing Council member of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), the founding director of the UNESCO/IOC Regional Training and Research Center (RTRC) on ocean dynamics and climate, which is the first RTRC in UNESCO/IOC. He works at the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources of China. He is the editorial board members of peer review journals including Ocean Modelling and Journal of Marine Systems.

He developed the non-breaking surface wave-induced vertical mixing theory which much alleviated the traditional ocean model biases lasting for half century, and then developed the national and international wave-tide-circulation coupled operational ocean forecasting system. He recently developed the first Typhoon forecasting model with sea spray from breaking surface waves which much improved the forecasting ability of Typhoon intensity, solving a classical problem for several decades.
Ricardo Serrão Santos

Member of the European Parliament, Portugal

Ricardo Serrão Santos

Ricardo Serrão Santos (RSS) has been a Member of the European Parliament since July 2014 and full Member of the Committees of Fisheries and of Agriculture and Rural Development. He is Coordinator for S&D group on Fisheries and Vice-Chair of the Intergroups “Seas, Islands, Rivers and Coastal Zones” and “Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development”. RSS holds a Doctorate Degree from the University of Liverpool. He is professor at the University of the Azores.

During his academic career, RSS coordinated and chaired several scientific organizations of the EU, Portugal and the Azores. He holds positions in several scientific advisory bodies and committees among which the Oceanographic Institute of Paris.

He authored/co-authored more than 300 scientific papers and books is Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Marine Science/ Deep-Sea Environments and Ecology.

RSS is Member of the “Portuguese Academy of Sciences” and Emeritus Member of the “Portuguese Navy Academy”. He has received several honorable mentions and awards, among which a “Gift to the Earth” by WWF in 2002, the “Insígnia Autonómica de Reconhecimento” awarded by the Legislative Parliament of the Azores and the Azores Government in 2012, commended “Chevalier de l'Ordre de Saint Charles” by SAS Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2013, awarded the Prize “Excellence Mare” awarded by PwC Portugal in 2017.
Sergey Shapovalov

Head, Center for Coordination of Ocean Research, Russian Federation

Sergey Shapovalov

Sergey Shapovalov joined oceanography in 1966, when he entered the Department of Oceanology at Moscow State University. After graduating and compulsory service in the army, in 1973 he entered the postgraduate school of the P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and in 1976 began working at this institute.

During his work at IO RAS, S. Shapovalov was a seagoing oceanographer and participated in more than 20 long-term scientific sea cruises. In 1979 he defended his thesis, the topic of which was connected with the study of inertial oscillations in the ocean.

In 1988, S. Shapovalov went to work at the Commission on the World Ocean Problems of RAS and became the Scientific Secretary of this Commission. Since that time he became involved in scientific coordination of ocean research both at the Russian and International levels. His task was to coordinate the ocean research of the marine institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to facilitate the participation of these institutions in State and International programs. S. Shapovalov was one of the active organizers of Russia's participation in the WOCE program. For a number of years in the late 1990s – early 2000s, he was a member of the Board of directors of the Pacific Congress on Marine Science and Technology (PACON International). For many years, starting from the end of the 1990s and up to the present, S. Shapovalov actively participates in the work of Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). He is the nominated member of SCOR from Russia, and from 2014 to 2018 he was the Vice President of SCOR. S.Shapovalov also participates in the activity of the IOC/UNESCO. Since 2003, he annually participates in the IOC meetings as a member of the Russian delegation from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

S. Shapovalov has extensive experience in the large state programs developing. In 1996 he was a member of the initiative group on the Federal Target Program “The World Ocean”, and then participated in its development. From 1998 to 2013, he was responsible for coordinating of the RAS institutes participation in the implementation of this program.

Currently S. Shapovalov continues to lead the Center for Coordination of Ocean Research of RAS in IO RAS. Along with this, he is engaged in scientific research. Now he is in charge of the project “The Sustainable Development Goal 14 of Agenda 2030 – “Conservation and Rational Use of the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development” – in the southern coastal regions of Russia”.
Dismore Gilbert Siko

Director, Department of Science and Technology, South Africa

Dismore Gilbert Siko

Dr D. Gilbert Siko is urrently the Director in the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST). He is responsible for managing the portfolio of Marine and Polar Research as well as Palaeosciences for the DST. He has coordinated the development several research strategies that are set to guide South Africa towards the development of research capacity and human capital development in marine, polar research. Internationally, he coordinated the development of the South-South Framework for Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the South and Tropical Atlantic and Southern Oceans that was adopted by South Africa and Brazil with the involvement of Argentina, Namibia and Angola.

He serves as the science, technology and innovation nodal point for South African Operations Phakisa Oceans Economy initiative; provides South Africa with representation in the Indian Ocean Rim Association Academic Science and Technology portfolio discussions; and also serves as a consortium partner in the European Commission Horizon 220/20 coordination and support project, AANChOR (All AtlaNtic Cooperation for Ocean Research and innovation).
Mitsuo Uematsu

Emeritus Professor, University of Tokyo, Japan

Mitsuo Uematsu

Mitsuo Uematsu is emeritus professor of the University of Tokyo, Japan. He holds a Ph.D. in geochemistry from Hokkaido University, Japan, and looks back at more than 30 years of experience in the field of atmospheric chemistry and marine biogeochemistry. His research focuses on the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS), an investigation of the dynamic processes occurring across the sea surface. The goal is “to achieve quantitative understanding of the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere, and how this coupled system affects and is affected by climate and environmental change.”

He was former chair of the Japanese National Committee for IOC of UNESCO. He is serving as a co-chair of Future Earth Ocean KAN and chair of International Science Council/Regional Committee for Asia and Pacific (ISC/RCAP) to provide advice about preparing strategic approaches for the future activities of natural and social sciences throughout Asia and the Pacific.
Martin Visbeck

Head, Research Unit “Physical Oceanography”, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel University, Germany

Martin Visbeck

Martin Visbeck is head of research unit Physical Oceanography at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and professor at Kiel University, Germany. His research interests revolve around ocean dynamic and the ocean’s role in the climate system, integrated global ocean observation and ocean sustainable development.

As the speaker of the German excellence initiative “The Future Ocean” in Kiel, he is involved in integrated marine sciences bringing together different disciplines to work on marine issues. He is leading the EU AtlantOS Project on sustained ocean observing in the Atlantic.

Through his active participation in several national and international advisory committees, most recently as member of the informal advisory board of the UN “Ocean Science Decade for Sustainable Development 2021-2030”, Martin Visbeck is involved in strategic planning and decision-making processes about the ocean and sustainable development at a national, European and global level.
Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade

Manager, NOAA National Weather Service Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program, Puerto Rico

Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade

Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade is the Manager of the NOAA National Weather Service Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. She is Past Chair of the UNESCO/ IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean Sea and Adjacent Regions. She has also held the positions of President of the Seismological Society of America and was the Director of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network and researcher of the Geology Dept. of the University of Puerto Rico for over 15 years.

Her scientific expertise spans volcanology, seismology and tsunami science and has published dozens of scientific articles and abstracts. von Hillebrandt-Andrade is also very actively engaged in training, community education and outreach and led the implementation of the NWS TsunamiReady program in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and is currently supporting the implementation of the IOC/UNESCO Tsunami Ready recognition program for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions. She has been responsible for the conduct of CARIBE WAVE, an annual Caribbean wide tsunami exercise held since 2011, with several hundreds of thousands participants from almost 50 countries.

In 2017 she was awarded the Bronze Medal, the highest distinction of NOAA to her employees, for “providing exceptional leadership that has resulted in a significant improvement in tsunami awareness and preparedness across the Caribbean”.

She holds a Masters Degree in Geology from the Escuela Politecnica Nacional (Quito, Ecuador), a Bachelors Degree from the Universtity of Delaware. Although born in New Jersey, USA, she was raised in Puerto Rico. She is a native English and Spanish speaker and can also converse in German.