Richard Delaney has over 35 years of experience with the development and implementation of integrated coastal and ocean management plans and policies at all levels of government in the US and other countries. Formerly President and CEO of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA for 14 years, he was also the founding Director of the Urban Harbors Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston where he provided leadership for the creation of the first Marine Spatial Plan in the US, among other things. He has served as the National Chair of the Coastal States Organization in Washington DC representing the views of the 35 coastal states, Great Lake states and US territories and their Governors on legislative and budgetary matters before Congress. Mr. Delaney has served on the Board of Directors of the Global Ocean Forum (GOF) since 2002. He has a BS in Political Science from Harvard, has completed graduate studies in environmental planning and landscape architecture at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry and completed a Certificate Program for Senior Executives at JFK School of Government.

Peter Thomson is a Fijian diplomat who is currently serving as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean – the first person to be appointed to this position. He held the office of President of the General Assembly of the United Nations from September 2016 until September 2017. He was Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the UN from February 2010 to September 2016.

Thomson was elected President of the Assembly of the Institute Seabed Authority’s 2011 session and then as President of the Authority’s Council for its 2015 session. In 2013 he chaired the Group of 77 and China at the United Nations on Fiji’s behalf, and served as President of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS from 2014 to 2015.

As a Government of Fiji civil servant, he devoted many years of his life to working in the fields of rural development and then foreign affairs. From 1988 to 2009, he was the Managing Director of the development consultancy company Thomson Pacific based in Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia. Thomson was born in Fiji, graduating from Natabua High School. He gained a BA in Political Science from Auckland University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, England.

Loreley Picourt is the Executive Director of the Ocean & Climate Platform. As a strong advocate for multilateral cooperation, she works for a better integration of the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus in decision-making at the national and international levels. At the UNFCCC, she is co-focal point for Ocean and Coastal Zones for the Marrakech Partnership-Global Climate Action Agenda, and also part of the Specialized Group of Ocean Experts of the Nairobi Work Programme on adaptation.

Loreley holds an MSc in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Environmental Economics and management from the University of York (UK).

Luis Estévez-Salmerón is an expert on international policy and has vast experience working with Latin American governments as part of the U.S. State Department. Prior to his current position as Associate Director, International Government Relations with the Ocean Conservancy, Luis was the Senior Advisor to the Office of Global Change for the U.S. State Department, Senior Manager of International Government Relations with the Ocean Conservancy, Program Manager in the Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs for the U.S. State Department and a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of Marine Conservation, also for the U.S. State Department. Luis is an accomplished scientific advocate, science liaison, program manager, and scientific researcher offering an array of expertise in advocacy, international negotiations, project planning, resource management, research and analysis, and strategic communication. 

Thecla Keizer is the Deputy Head of the International Office at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a co-founder of the first Virtual Ocean Pavilion at a COP, and with her organization a partner in the first Ocean Pavilion in the Blue zone at COP27. Thecla has been attending the UNFCCC COPs since 2009 where, with her colleague Dr. Carol Turley, she pioneered the realisation of an international ocean acidification partnership presence. Closer to home she sits on the UK Marine Science and Coordination Committee International Working Group assessing UK marine science engagement with international initiatives.

The inaugural Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Fellow with the Global Ocean Forum, Sarah is the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion Secretariat. 
Sarah recently graduated from the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) with a Master of Marine Affairs. While at SMEA, her research focused on the emerging role of marine fisheries “other effective area-based conservation measures,” or OECMs, in global conservation efforts and policy. She was partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations for this work and have since continued to foster a passion for international marine biodiversity and fishery policy. Sarah’s work experience also includes working as a consultant for the Fisheries Management and Assessment team of the Fisheries Division of FAO. In this position, she focused on capacity building and stakeholder engagement on the topic of marine fisheries OECMs and aided in developing a framework for assessing the biodiversity outcomes that can be expected to come from sustainable fishery management. Prior to this, she also worked as an intern in the Fisheries Division at FAO.  

For over 45 years, Larry Hildebrand has served the coastal and ocean governance and management community as a professor, researcher, government senior manager, UN and EU evaluation consultant, policy developer, NGO executive director, and training and capacity building leader. He has worked on: coastal and ocean governance program development, management, and evaluation internationally; marine/maritime spatial planning education evaluation and institution building; executive leadership in government and NGOs; post-graduate instruction, supervision, mentoring, and assessment of developing country students; curriculum development;  training and capacity building; policy research; and conference organization. He holds B.Sc (Hons) and Masters degrees in marine biology and coastal zone management from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a PhD in coastal and ocean governance from Cardiff University in Wales. Dr. Hildebrand continues to serve in his ‘retirement’.

Dr Matt Frost is a senior leader with over 20 years’ experience in the charity and research sector and heads up the International work at PML. Matt works extensively on international matters specialising in networking and science diplomacy and sits on a number of international and national committees. Examples include: the UK National Decade Committee and the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (the UKs primary marine climate advice body), as well as the MCCIP Overseas Working Group. Matt led work with the UK Overseas Territory governments to produce the first-ever climate assessment across all the UK Overseas Territories. Matt also chairs and also led on the establishment of the World Association of Marine Stations (WAMS), working with global partners to bring together marine station directors (with UN IOC-Unesco) in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Matt has worked on many marine issues including climate change and biodiversity with a wide range of stakeholders across different countries and cultures including international bodies such as the United Nations, embassies, global secretariats (e.g. the Commonwealth), G7, investors and Global NGOs.

Matt has previously worked for the civil service, as a lecturer at the University of Plymouth and for 20 years was Deputy Director of the Marine Biological Association and Head of Policy and Engagement. Matt originally graduated with a 1st class degree in marine biology before completing a PhD program looking at large-scale patterns in sandy beach macrofauna.

Hans-Otto Poertner is a physiologist and marine biologist performing research at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, where he heads the Integrative Ecophysiology Section. During his scientific career Hans-Otto Pörtner has developed ground-breaking theories on the impacts of ocean warming, ocean acidification and hypoxia on marine organisms and ecosystems, and has validated these in numerous studies. Two of his seminal topics involve the molecular, biochemical and physiological mechanisms that determine the tolerance, performance and adaptive capacity of marine animals, and whether and how these mechanisms apply universally to all animals, including humans.
He is a Web of Science/Clarivate Analytics highly cited researcher (top 1% Cross-Field) 2018 onward. Prof. Dr. Hans-Otto Poertner was one of the Co-Chairs of Working Group II during the sixth assessment cycle for the IPCC.

Jasdeep Randhawa is currently appointed as the Ocean Focal point for the UNFCCC secretariat, where she is a Legal Officer. Jasdeep has more than fifteen years of professional experience in five continents in the climate, urban, water and governance sectors. Previously, she worked for UN-Habitat where she coordinated the IPCC co-sponsored Innovate4Cities conference; was the project lead for the UN Advisory Committee on Local Authorities; and developed the concept of public space access as a human right. She consulted for Bosch stiftung on urban innovation and transnational partnerships to address global governance crises. 
Jasdeep has extensive experience in transboundary water cooperation, and water and sanitation issues, having worked as the regional policy manager for Oxfam’s Transboundary Waters in South Asia; for the World Bank’s Cooperation in International Waters in Africa programme; for the OECD, Government of India, Gates Foundation and the Harvard Water Security Initiative. Jasdeep has clerked at the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Hong Kong, and worked for the Office of the Prime Minister on constitutional, justice, and federalism reforms.
Jasdeep has taught courses in various universities and made presentations in her areas of expertise, including at G20, COP23, Global Media Forum, Humanitarian Diplomacy Lab, BMW Global forum, UN Staff College, and the Brandt Commission Conference.  She has been selected to various leadership and fellowship programs, including as a BMW Foundation World Responsible Leader; a Robert Bosch Fellow; Federal Foreign Office Training for International Diplomats; UNLEASH SDG Global Talent; and a Global Diplomacy Lab member.

David Obura is a Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa, a knowledge organization supporting sustainability of coral reef and marine systems in the Western Indian Ocean. CORDIO takes research to management and policy, builds capacity, and works with stakeholders, managers and policy makers. David’s primary research is on coral reef resilience, in particular to climate change, and the biogeography of the Indian Ocean.

At the boundary between science and action, David works to integrate conservation and development through inclusive blue economy principles and links provided by global sustainability goals and targets. He works from the local scale, through fostering innovative action to promote sustainability, through regional scale alignment and integration, to global scales, bringing knowledge and local-regional practice into decision-making contexts. David serves on the Earth Commission (2019-2022), contributing to describing a ‘safe and just corridor’ into the future, for people and planet. David also is co-lead of the IPBES assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health (the ‘Nexus Assessment’).

Manuel Barange, a national of South Africa and Spain, is Assistant Director General in addition to being Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.

Professor Barange has a BSc in Biology from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and a PhD in Marine Ecology. Before joining FAO he was Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Science at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK) and Chair of the Science Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). He is an Honorary Professor at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter (UK). He is a recognized expert on climate and anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems and on the role of aquatic foods in ending hunger and poverty. He has over 130 academic publications, and in 2010 he was awarded the UNESCO-IOC Roger Revelle Medal for his contributions to ocean science.

Gail Sant is a Maltese woman who is personally and professionally motivated by a lifelong love for the ocean. She has a background in biology and global ocean and climate policy and works for the Nippon Foundation-University of Edinburgh Ocean Voices Programme. In addition, Gail works on other environmental projects at various organizational levels through her independent consultancy. Her experience includes working with UNFCCC, Earth Negotiations Bulletin, The Conservation Collective, and more.

Throughout her work, Gail finds that she always 'returns to the grassroots.' This notion stems from a deep appreciation and an actionable recognition that the communities at the forefront of ocean and environmental challenges need to be the leaders of larger global movements. During her time working and the many hours she spends outdoors, Gail seeks to learn more about humanity's relationship with nature and how our systems can reflect the belief that there is no true separation between the two groups. She hopes that through her work, she can be a small part of the paradigm shift towards an equitable, healthy planet for all.

Natalie is an author, researcher and communications advisor. She has extensive experience designing and delivering strategic communications and behavioural change campaigns in complex and hostile environments. Natalie believes in the power of writing and communications to enhance our world and specialises in evidence-based, research led approaches that deliver effective change.

Previously, Natalie worked extensively across the Middle East and North Africa. She has a BA in Combined Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic and Spanish) from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University.

Anna Maria Marino is the Liaison Officer on Arctic and Oceans at Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) and Youth4Ocean Forum member. She has obtained a Master's Degree in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs at University of Bologna and she is currently specialising in Arctic Studies. Passionate about international Climate and Ocean governance, she was part of YEE's UNFCCC COP26 and UNEA 5.2 Delegations, took part in European Maritime Day and the 2nd Ocean Conference in Lisbon representing the Youth4Ocean Forum, and was a YEE Delegate to COP27.

Dr. Kelsey Leonard is a water scientist, legal scholar, policy expert, writer, and enrolled citizen of the Shinnecock Nation. Dr. Leonard is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, where her research focuses on Indigenous water justice and its climatic, territorial, and governance underpinnings. Dr. Leonard seeks to establish Indigenous traditions of water conservation as the foundation for international water policymaking. 

She represents the Shinnecock Indian Nation on the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean, which is charged with protecting America's ocean ecosystems and coastlines. She also serves as a member of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board of the International Joint Commission. Her regional ocean policy work in collaboration with Tribes, state, federal and fishery management council entities received a Peter Benchley Ocean Award for Excellence in Solutions.

Dr. Kimberly Oremus is an assistant professor at the University of Delaware School of Marine Science and Policy, with joint appointments in economics and the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. Her research focuses on fishery management and policy, including international agreements, the economics of fisheries, and the impacts of climate change on marine economies. She earned her doctorate in sustainable development from Columbia University and held a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California Santa Barbara. 

Dr. James Rising is an Assistant Professor at the School of Marine Science & Policy. Dr. Rising studies the economics of environmental policy, with an emphasis on risks from climate change and human-natural complex systems. His research includes work on marine fisheries, climate justice, the social cost of carbon, tipping points, climate risks for water and agriculture, and the future of coffee. Prior to joining UD, James was a researcher at the Grantham Research Institute at LSE and held postdoctoral positions at the Energy & Resources Group at UC Berkeley and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.

Dr. A.R. Siders is a director of the Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub. She is an associate professor at the University of Delaware in the Disaster Research Center, the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, and the department of Geography and Spatial Sciences in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. She holds a JD from Harvard and a PhD from the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University. Her research focuses on climate change adaptation decision-making and policy, with recent projects on relocation as adaptation and adaptation equity. 

Dr. Christina McGranaghan is an Assistant Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Delaware. Her research uses economics lab experiments to study decision making under uncertainty. Her applied research focuses on mechanisms that can help foster coordination in the context of managed retreat (the purposeful relocation of people and buildings away from risk). Before joining the University of Delaware, she completed her PhD in Applied Economics at Cornell University. She holds a BSc. and MSc. from Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.

Emma Korein is a doctoral candidate in Marine Policy at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on community engagement and energy justice within offshore wind energy development in the United States. Emma is the President of the University of Delaware's Climate Fellows and a 2023 Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy Fellow. She holds a Master’s degree in Conservation and Biodiversity from the University of Exeter and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bates College. She has worked internationally in the field of marine science and policy conducting interdisciplinary research to inform the sustainable and just management of ocean resources. 

Danielle Swallow is a Coastal Hazards Specialist with Delaware Sea Grant, where she provides technical assistance and outreach to communities on emergency preparedness and building resilience to weather and climate hazards.  She is a certified climate change professional and co-founder of the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL), a professional network of organizations dedicated to helping communities thrive in the face of changing climate and environmental conditions. Danielle is the 2022 recipient of both the Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Award for Outstanding Outreach and the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment’s Community Engagement Award. 

After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Event management, Maelle Montier started her Ocean Journey by an internship at Ifremer (France) in communication and event management. This eye-opening experience led to a position at the World Ocean Network, a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with international and local organisations working on ocean Literacy. Wanting to share her passion for the Ocean, she became a science communicator in Nausicaa (Aquarium and marine science centre in the north France) for schools and the general public for 4 years. She now works as a project officer for the European Interreg project “TREASURE”.

Currently Chief Executive Officer of Mobius Foundation, a New Delhi based environment and sustainability think tank, he has over 40 years of rich and diverse experience of working with the United Nations System, civil society, Government and academics in senior supervisory positions. Served UNESCO for over 11 years providing intellectual, strategic and operational leadership to many regional and global programmes. Served as Secretary of the Intergovernmental SACAM (South & Central Asia Man and Biosphere) Network and focal point for category 2 centers on biotechnology and world natural heritage. Also was an Advisor (consultant) UNEP in developing a trans boundary landscape conservation project during 2018. Coordinated the UNESCO-Chair on Education for Sustainable Development and Human Habitat- at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and the CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India (2013) and UNESCO Chair on Climate Science and Policy at the TERI University (2012). He has taken a leadership role in many international bodies e.g. Co-founder and executive committee member of the World Ocean Network, National Organizer, Stockholm Junior Water Prize, active leader of the Global forum on oceans, coasts and Islands, visiting fellow at the School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan, Environmental Law Institute, Washington DC, World Aquarium, University of Bradford, UK and many other international networks and associations.

Sarah works as Sea’ties, Climate Change & Coastal Adaptation / Scientific mediation Project Officer. She has notably worked on the launch of the Map of Solutions. She joined the team as a Communication and Mobilization assistant after completing a MSc in International Affairs at Sciences Po Bordeaux, France.  After specializing in Environmental Policy at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, United States, she worked as a project assistant for a research and development programme on West Africa’s seagrass beds.

Gabriele Pieri is a Researcher from the Institute of Information Science and Technologies of the National Research Council of Italy, in Pisa. He is the Coordinator of the Horizon-2020 Project NAUTILOS: a project aiming to unlock the critical knowledge contained in the ocean through a new approach to sea and underwater technologies for innovative and cost-efficient ocean observation.

Letizia Artioli, architect and researcher lives and works in between Venice and Den Haag, always below sea level. She is currently an Architecture PhD candidate at IUAV University and MArtScience at KABK. Her projects focus on dichotomies between immaterial matter, data spatialisation and climate change emergency. Hoping to transform contemporary emptiness in public spaces in order to create awareness for the incoming post-disruptive climate-changed digital future through beauty. Currently, she is investigating the relationship between human beings and environmental data as a matter for research and creation, entangling climate data and its inhabitants into immersive installations. Previous exhibitions include: FillingTheVoid@TheGreySpaceinTheMiddle, ARS ELECTRONICA22; MilanDesignWeekD.O.S.22-23, #MakesUsVisibleNYC 2022, Laguna Festival, ArsElectronicaGardenNYC, MMMAD Madrid, LABA Valencia. She is Founder of the Venice Climate Change Pavilion project (EU4Ocean Award for Arts & Culture Relating to the Ocean 2022) and a member of the Youth4Ocean Forum.

Oceans & Coastal Zone Fellow at the High Level Climate Champions team,  mobilizing climate action amongst non-State actors to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, through implementation of the Ocean Breakthroughs initiative, including the Mangrove Breakthrough, in close collaboration with the UNFCCC, the Marrakech Partnership and the COP Presidencies.

Jen became director of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program in 2015, creating an ambitious vision and strategic plan for coral conservation and management efforts at NOAA. She also holds key national and international positions as the Steering Committee Co-Chair of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, Co-Chair of the International Coral Reef Initiative and Vice-Chair of the Coral R&D Accelerator Program, which is an outcome of the G-20.

Margaux Hein is a marine biologist and the Lead Consultant of MER Research and Consulting. Her research projects focus on the social and ecological characteristics of coral restoration success. With projects around the world since 2012, she is currently acting as an official consultant with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).

Vineil works as Climate Finance Specialist, in charge of enhancing the nexus between finance and climate change through incorporating climate finance into national budgetary planning/processes and performing strategic analysis of existing and potential sources of climate finance. He was previously Senior Economic Planning Officer at Ministry of Economy (Budget and Planning Division) of Fiji.

As the Program Manger and chief scientist at CORDAP, Anderson oversees CORDAP’s research portfolio. He is also the chief scientist at Coral Reef Diagnostics where he uses “big data” analytical approaches to develop conservation products for imperiled marine ecosystems. He was formerly a researcher for NOAA and Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.

Grace is the Global Fund for Coral Reef Frontline Youth Representative. She is the youngest in the Blue Finance/Blue Alliance team, working as the Communication and Science Coordinator of Blue Alliance Philippines. She is a licensed scuba diver majoring in Biology with Specialization in Ecology and Systematics and a Minor in Data Science and Analytics at the Ateneo de Manila University. 

Prior to joining GFCR, Yaba was the CEO for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund where he led the fund's activities for over 7 years. Previous experience includes working for the German Government Technical Cooperation Agency in Mexico, The Nature Conservancy’s International Government Relations Department and Europe Office, the World Bank-GEF Unit, the United States Geological Survey, and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute in Brazil.

Lui-Walton Senior Fellow at Conservation International and Colombia’s former Minister of the Environment; Ambassador of Mangrove Breakthrough. As Colombia’s former Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Carlos builds on years of leadership to help advance critical policy goals and shared priorities. He championed Colombia’s efforts toward carbon neutrality and nature-positive outcomes, including leading the development of the country’s carbon neutrality strategy and strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris climate agreement. This resulted in the legal incorporation of new commitments to reduce greenhouse gasses by 51 percent by 2030. During his tenure, he launched Colombia's commitment to the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) 30x30 Global Initiative to declare 30% of marine and terrestrial territory as protected areas, which has been officially announced in Lisbon during the Oceans Conference from the ONU. Colombia meets this milestone eight years ahead of schedule; 37% Marine protected areas and 31% terrestrial areas.

Marcia is a senior professional with 20+ years of work experience designing climate programs and managing portfolios and providing strategic direction to accelerate climate implementation. Her key focus is on adaptation and resilience pathways, spanning 70 countries worldwide.

Mark is an intersectional ecologist specializing in coastal vegetated and tropical freshwater ecosystems. He has a wide knowledge of blue carbon markets and is involved in several initiatives including the Best practice guidelines for mangrove restoration and the High-quality blue carbon principles and guidance. 

Before joining UNEP, Leticia served as the Special Advisor to the Secretariat for the Environment of the Federal District of Brazil, where she was previously the Director of Program for Head of Environmental Quality at Industry and Deputy Director of Chemicals Safety.

Blue Carbon Director at Conservation International, with more than 30 years of experience in research, management and conservation on strategic aquatic and coastal ecosystems and species. Proven success driving conservation and blue carbon programs, community-driven initiatives, long-term financial mechanisms, identification of environmental protection needs, species and ecosystem management, small-scale fisheries, educational initiatives and building strong relationships with local partners, institutions, and governmental entities

Director of Oceans Conservation at WWF-US. In this role, Karen leads the strategic development, management, and implementation of work to conserve and restore marine and coastal ecosystems in Latin America, the Western Indian Ocean, and Asia-Pacific regions to ensure benefits for both nature and people. Karen represents WWF on the Steering Committee of the Global Mangrove Alliance.

Florent Merle is the Deputy director of the European and International relations at the French Biodiversity Agency. His commitment for biodiversity has been a common feature through his previous experiences at the Embassy of France at Singapore and at the French Ministry for the ecological transition.

Sara Hutto manages the Climate and Conservation Program at Greater Farallones Association, in support of Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, integrating climate-smart adaptation into Sanctuary management and providing training for marine protected area managers around the country to undertake climate-smart adaptation planning. Sara’s background is in rocky intertidal ecology, and she holds a Master of Science in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

Dr Ruth Parker is a Principal biogeochemist at Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, a governmental marine agency, in the UK. She has over 25 years research experience and has published over 50 peer reviewed papers on understanding carbon and nutrient cycling within marine shelf systems. She is a Cefas Blue Carbon topic lead, focusing on emerging habitats. She leads national and international community activities and R&D projects on seabed carbon and impacts and supports advice provision on seabed blue carbon, human and climate impacts. She also co-ordinates evidence collection and collation to support the management of human activities to inform seabed protection or recovery measures as nature based solutions to climate change.

She is a UK rep on the European Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Oceans Joint Action on Blue Carbon, participates in the International Partnership for MPAs, biodiversity and climate change and is a member of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) working group on fisheries, benthic impacts and trade-offs. 

Dr. Doug George is a geological oceanographer and the program manager for the NERRS Science Collaborative at NOAA's Office for Coastal Management. He has worked throughout the West Coast as a federal scientist, state resource manager, and environmental consultant with projects ranging from estuary restoration and living shorelines to regional sediment management and climate change adaptation. Dr. George’s educational background includes a B.S in Oceanography from Humboldt State University, a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, a M.Sc. in Oceanography from Dalhousie University and a Ph.D. in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of California, Davis.

Hannah co-leads the Marine Management Team at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) - an organisation based in the United Kingdom (UK) responsible for providing advice to UK government on UK-wide and international nature conservation. Hannah has spent the last decade working on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), leading advice to government on the designation of MPAs and the progress of the UK MPA network. Hannah has oversight for JNCC’s work on MPAs and climate change and works alongside partners as part of the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change.

Dave has worked as an environmental professional within Natural England and predecessor bodies for over 30 years. He originally trained as a plant ecologist, starting his career as a field surveyor mapping the vegetation communities of south-east England. He now tends to describe himself as a multidisciplinary environmental scientist, having developed expertise in public health, aspects of social science and economics, and the analysis and synthesis of evidence from multiple sources. In recent years, Dave has worked on gamebirds, upland burning, biodiversity net gain, natural capital, biodiversity, and human health amongst other things.

Dave is a fellow and former trustee of the Institute of Environmental Science, trustee of the Ecological Continuity Trust and Collaboration for Environmental Evidence, and expert adviser to NICE. He also has a handful of active research projects on the go, ranging across disease vector range shifts, climate change impacts on grassland vegetation and orchid autecology.

Pernille Schnoor is a former member of the Danish Parliament, currently a senior researcher at the World Maritime University. She is a social scientist with a cross-disciplinary Ph.D. from Copenhagen Business School, now focusing on science-to-policy and holistic and integrative approaches to managing maritime activities.

Currently Director of ICOS Ocean Thematic Centre in Bergen Norway and also lead Investigator on Ocean ICU. Honorary professor at University of Southampton UK. Previously chair of Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems group in NOC Southampton. Moved to Bergen in 2019 to take up a  more policy facing role.

Mary S. Wisz is Professor of Marine Science at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden, where she leads a cross-disciplinary research team working on ocean carbon. At WMU she has taught over 1000 early-mid career diplomats, mostly from the Global South, on managing the impacts of maritime activities on marine ecosystems, and integrative approaches for the application of area based management tools.

Dr Patrick Lehodey is currently sharing his time between Mercator Ocean International (France) and the Pacific Community (SPC, New Caledonia). He was a member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the international program GLOBEC (2000-05) and co-chair of the GLOBEC/CLIOTOP (Climate Impacts on Oceanic Top Predators) program until 2010. His interests include the modeling of ocean ecosystems and the management of marine resources under the combined impacts of fisheries, climate variability and climate change.

Marinez Scherer is a biologist with a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences. She is a professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil, and currently serves as the General Coordinator for Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Marine Spatial Planning at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change of Brazil, Department of Ocean and Coastal Management.

Fabio Berzaghi is a senior researcher at the World Maritime University specialized in the role of wild animals in marine and terrestrial ecosystems and how their interactions with the environment affects biogeochemical cycles and climate. He is currently working on carbon services provided by the biological carbon pump and mesopelagic fish.

Natalya Gallo is a marine ecologist and biological oceanographer in the Fjord and Coastal Ecology research group at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen, and is an affiliate of the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research.

Dr. Indu Hewawasam is the President of Sustainable Oceans and Coasts LLC, a non-governmental agency with a mission of building capacity in less developed countries to govern ocean and coastal resources in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. She was formerly a Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank with 22 years of experience designing and managing projects in partnership with public, private and community representatives. Her work at the World Bank primarily focused on marine and coastal management in the Africa region. Her post-World Bank experience of over 10 years, as President of her company focuses on South and East Asia as well as Africa. She holds a doctoral degree in Marine Policy.

Tony MacDonald is director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI). He was previously the executive director of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) from 1998-2005. CSO, based in Washington, DC, represents the interests of the governors of the nation’s 35 coastal states and territories on coastal and ocean policy matters. Prior to joining CSO, Tony was the special counsel and director of environmental affairs at the American Association of Port Authorities, where he represented the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) at the International Maritime Organization on negotiations on the London Convention. Tony has also practiced law with a private firm in Washington, DC, working on environmental and legislative issues, and served as the Washington, DC, environmental legislative representative for the Mayor of the City of New York.

Kristina M. Gjerde, J.D., is Senior High Seas Advisor to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Ocean Team, an adjunct professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, and an honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh. For the past twenty plus years, Kristina’s primary focus has been promoting a United Nations Agreement to protect, conserve and sustain ocean life beyond national boundaries. The United Nations Agreement on High Seas Biodiversity was formally adopted on June 19, 2023. 

Along the way, Kristina has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications and co-founded four initiatives: Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, Sargasso Sea Project, High Seas Alliance, and Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI). She sits on the advisory board of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and was previously part of the Executive Planning Group for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.  In February 2023, Kristina received the IUCN World Commission on Protected Area’s Fred Packard Award for her efforts to secure protections in international law for the high seas.

Mr. Fuad Bateh consults for a variety of organizations and institutions working in development, law and negotiations related to environment and natural resources. On behalf of the State of Palestine as 2019 Chair of the Group of 77 & China, he coordinated the positions of the Group and led negotiations at the Intergovernmental Conference to elaborate an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction under the UNCLOS framework. Support to the State of Palestine continued throughout the BBNJ intergovernmental negotiations process expanding to also respond to a request from Pakistan to join the 2022 G77&China Chair ́s BBNJ team in coordination and negotiation of the group ́s positions. Previously, Mr. Bateh served as the Water Governance and Infrastructure Advisor to the Office of the Quartet (Jerusalem); Advisor on Environment and Water to the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat; Advisor to the Palestinian Minister of Water working on water sector development and reform, as well as resource mobilization; Legal Advisor to the Palestinian Chief Negotiator and negotiations team; and also legal consultant for the International and Environmental Law unit of the World Bank. He started his legal career in project finance in Washington, DC.

Rena Lee is Singapore’s Ambassador for International Law and Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. Rena joined the Singapore public service in 1992 and has served in a number of roles, including with the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She specializes in the practice of public international law, covering diverse areas including law of the sea, environmental and climate change law, and humanitarian and human rights law. Rena was most recently Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In this capacity, Rena was elected President of the BBNJ Intergovernmental Conference in 2018 and served until the successful conclusion of the negotiations in 2023. Rena was also a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority from 2017 to 2022.

Mr. Vladimir Jares is the Director of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. He has dealt with many issues concerning the law of the sea, particularly those related to the implementation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related Agreements. Since 1997, he has been involved in providing services to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and has served as its Secretary. He has also been involved in capacity-building activities of the Division, delivering many of its training courses, including on UNCLOS article 76 implementation.

The Rt Hon Lord Benyon was appointed Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 November 2023.

He was previously Minister of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs) at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs between 30 October 2022 and 14 November 2023.

He was also Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 13 May 2021 to 30 October 2022.

Lord Benyon was raised to the Peerage in January 2021.

Kęstutis Sadauskas is a Lithuanian national.

He holds Master degrees from Vilnius University in Political Science/International Relations and Geography.

From 1993 until 2006 he worked at the Lithuanian Foreign Service on multilateral issues.

In September 2006 Kęstutis Sadauskas was appointed Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Vilnius.

From April 2010 until October 2014 he was Head of the Cabinet of Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta responsible for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud, Audit, and Statistics.

From November 2014 until March 2022 Kęstutis Sadauskas has been the Director for Circular Economy and Green Growth at the DG Environment of the European Commission.

From 1^st April 2022 Kestutis Sadauskas is Deputy Director-General in Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission.

Darcy DeMarsico is the Director General, Blue Economy Policy at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Previously, she worked to build globally competitive ecosystems in areas of Canadian technology leadership, through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Innovation Superclusters Initiative and the Economic Strategy Tables. Before joining ISED, Darcy worked at Rideau Hall where, as Director of the Order of Canada, she helped celebrate extraordinary Canadians. She was Chief of Staff at the Federal Secretariat for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games and managed Canada's post-conflict work to end the use of landmines in the Balkans. She is also on the Board of Ottawa's Centertown Community Health Centre.

Darcy holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and a B.A. Hons in Politics and Philosophy from Western University.

Dr Vladimir Ryabinin is the Executive Secretary of the IOC, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO.  He is an oceanographer, marine engineer, meteorologist, and climatologist. He originated several mathematical models for the ocean, atmosphere, wind waves, etc., and is an author of hundreds of scientific publications. 

Since the 1980s, Dr Ryabinin has been involved in various capacities in the activities of the United Nations and contributed to core design and coordination of such international initiatives, as the Global Ocean Observing System and the World Climate Research Programme. 

The current work of IOC and Dr. Ryabinin is focussed on creating a solid scientific foundation for managing the ocean sustainably, including through the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030.

Dr. Vera Agostini is the Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) where she provides oversight, strategic leadership and technical support. From 2007-2017 Vera was with The Nature Conservancy, initially as Senior Scientist with the Global Oceans Team, and then as Director of Conservation and Director of Climate Adaptation. Dr. Agostini is a fisheries scientist by training, who has held positions across three sectors (non-governmental, government, and academia/educational) providing technical and strategic leadership across a range of multi-disciplinary efforts around the globe. Her experience ranges from comprehensive ecosystem research to broad policy and planning.

Isabelle has extensive experience with the negotiation, formulation, and implementation of technical assistance projects primarily GEF funded, and has worked with multiple partners. These include partners from the GEF agencies, other UN Agencies, regional basin organizations and Regional Seas Programs, NGOs, government agencies, local governments, and academia to foster multi-country transboundary water cooperation and the collective management of marine and freshwater transboundary water systems supporting policy, legal, and institutional reforms. As International Waters Task Manager within UNEP, she has worked in more than 35 countries across Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean on transboundary water body-based projects and also on a series of global International Waters projects.

She has also worked to bridge focal areas in a ridge-to-reef/Source to Sea context, blend climate change adaptation measures within Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), promote resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and nature-based Blue Economy opportunities, and conservation finance through innovative financing mechanisms.

She holds a Master of Science in Hydrology from the University of Louvain in Belgium.

Thecla Keizer is the Deputy Head of the International Office at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a co-founder of the first Virtual Ocean Pavilion at a COP and with her organization a partner in the first Ocean Pavilion in the Blue zone at COP27. Thecla has been attending the UNFCCC COPs since 2009 where, with her colleague Dr Carol Turley, she pioneered the realization of an international ocean acidification partnership presence. Closer to home she sits on the UK Marine Science and Coordination Committee International Working Group assessing UK marine science engagement with international initiatives.

Miriam C. Balgos is Executive Director of the Global Ocean Forum and concurrent Project Manager-Capacity Development Specialist of a GEF-funded project on Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-Sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Formerly Associate Scientist at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, and the Program Coordinator of the Global Ocean Forum, Miriam led the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy team in the organization and conduct of multi-stakeholder dialogues, policy analyses, and capacity building in integrated ocean and coastal management. Her research has focused on integrated ocean and coastal management, marine protected areas, marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, and climate change adaptation. She co-authored and contributed to various publications including A Comparative Analysis of Ocean Policies in Fifteen Nations and Four Regions and co-edited the Routledge Handbook of National and Regional Ocean Policies. Miriam received her B.Sc. in Fisheries and M.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of the Philippines, her M. in Business Administration and Ph.D. in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware.