Cohort 2020/22

Aurora Heim has a Norwegian and Sami background. Her great grandparents defined themselves as sea Sami people, but because of ‘Norwegianization’ her nearest relatives does not relate to Sami culture nor language. Aurora’s parents chose to give her and her sisters the chance to take back the language and be a part of the Sami community. Because of the rough Sami history, Aurora is concerned and passionate that the Sami people get to keep their rights, especially the sea Sami.

Aurora is now a first-year student at UiT, The Arctic University of Norway. Her love for the ocean compelled her to enrol in a bachelor's degree in Ocean Engineering. Within the BSc, she is learning to develop the technology connected to the ocean, with a specific focus on aquaculture technology.

My name is Louise C. Flensborg. I am a PhD student from Center for Ocean Life, Technical University of Denmark. I have a background within marine biology and a strong interest in conservation and biodiversity. My main area of work is on ecological resilience, structures and functioning of marine ecosystems. Studying how anthropogenic activity alter ecosystems in the Arctic have given me many exciting opportunities to work in different areas such as Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. This have given me a great understanding of the Arctic and a true love for the area and its nature. Furthermore, I have worked at the Natural History Museum of Denmark for 5 years with teaching and outreach. This have inspired me to engage young people into biodiversity work whether it is on a local or global scale. I am looking forward to continue my work and be part of the All-Atlantic Ocean youth ambassador programme as Arctic representative at APECS.d

Fiona-Elaine Straßer is currently a second-year M.Sc. student of the International Master of Marine Biological Resources, a joint Master program supported by the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC). Her current research at the Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) in Faro, Portugal aims to investigate the impact of climate change on the Golden Kelp, originating in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Apart from aiming to preserve highly bio-diverse marine habitats, she is also highly passionate about analyzing/understanding animal behaviour and movement patterns of marine species using acoustic and satellite telemetry data.

Having studied in six different countries, Fiona’s personal and professional network is exceptionally broad. Engaging with people from all over the world and exchanging ideas on how to preserve the Ocean and foster sustainability is where she thrives. She has a strong interest in further addressing research gaps concerning oceanic ecosystems, developing sustainable management practices, and driving forward innovation for a better future. 

As an All Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador, Fiona follows her passion and her deep urge to speak up for our oceans and ensuring that scientist’s voices are being heard - both at a local and international level.

I grew up on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia next to the ocean. My interest in marine science grew from spending a lot of time scuba diving and sea kayaking in early years. I graduated from Dalhousie University with a BSc in Marine Biology and continued on to complete the Ocean Technology Advanced Diploma program from NSCC. In 2017, I joined the Canada C3 Expedition from Iqaluit to Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut. The following year I moved to Iqaluit to work with Qikiqtaaluk Corporation as their Fisheries Division Coordinator, where I currently develop projects related to Arctic fisheries research.

Thando Mazomba has a background in Marine Biology, Oceanography and Environmental and Geographical Sciences. She is interested in holistic approaches in marine research and industry. Currently, she is an MSc candidate at the university of Cape Town, assessing climate model results in the Southern Ocean using historical whaling data. She enjoys understanding the ocean from as many perspectives as possible. This includes her want to celebrate the intersectionality that exists within the marine space, especially in marine conservation. Coming from a beautifully diverse country, Thando believes that people hold multiple relationships with the ocean and they differ from person to person, but what is important is to acknowledge that each of those relationships is equally important. Her love for the ocean does not go without the love for addressing socio-economic challenges and this is what she wants to continue to work towards; as she already engages with some marine NGOs and national departmental organisations to create marine education and offer to mentor. Thando is also a member of the inaugural cohort for OceanWomxn, a fellowship aimed at celebrating black and brown womxn in oceanographic research. She believes that this is an important vessel for transforming the marine space and increasing representation so that everyone can feel valued in the love and work for our oceans.

I completed my PhD in Genetics at Stellenbosch University, during which I formed part of a lab that assessed various species along the South African coastline and abroad, ranging from sharks and rays to abalone, kob and sea urchins. I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where my research is focused on developing integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems to contribute to zero-waste aquaculture practices. This research forms part of a larger “All Atlantic Ocean Sustainable, ProfiTable and Resilient Aquaculture (ASTRAL)” project. Through this collaborative effort, I hope to contribute to sustainable change, education and raising ocean awareness, both at a local and international level.

Julie Reimer is a PhD Candidate (Geography) at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Her research explores marine spatial planning and area-based ocean management as a pathway toward conservation and sustainability goals. She holds a Master of Marine Management and a Bachelor of Science in biology and brings this interdisciplinary and problem-solving lens to her work. Julie has been recognized as a leader in organizational governance and science-based conservation advocacy, and currently serves as President of the Sierra Club Canada Foundation, Chair of the Starfish Canada, and now as All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador for Canada.

Jillian Arany is originally from Barrhaven, Ontario but moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2009 to pursue her education, where she has remained. She earned her B.Sc. in Marine Biology, with a minor in Environmental Studies and Certificate in Environmental Impact Assessment from Dalhousie University in 2013, and her M.Sc. in Biology from Acadia University in 2019. Since 2016, she has been working as a Fisheries Biologist for The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq – Mi’kmaw Conservation Group. Her work is focused on marine animal response, commercial fisheries and aquatic invasive species. Her interest in the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Youth Ambassador program was driven by the opportunity to increase her knowledge of the ocean from a variety of new perspectives, meet like-minded people and work alongside others who are focused on trying to ensure healthy, resilient, safe, and productive oceans for future generations.

After researching tropical corals for her Masters in Ecology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Kelsey Archer Barnhill made the dive to deep sea ecology for her PhD. A member of University of Edinburgh’s Changing Oceans Research Group, Kelsey is an iAtlantic Fellow and One Ocean Hub Early Career Researcher. Her research explores triple stressor impacts on the habitat-building cold-water coral, Lophelia pertusa. Using laboratory mesocosms to run year-long experiments on live corals and coral skeletons, her work will allow scientists to better understand physiological and structural responses of L. pertusa to ocean acidification, warming, and deoxygenation.

Harriet Dundon is currently completing an internship with the Marine Institute, working in Marine Science Communication at Galway City Museum. She is responsible for the Sea Science Gallery which encompasses hands on education and outreach programmes. She obtained her BSc in Physical Geography and Oceanography from the University of Bangor, Wales. She completed her MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments at NUI Galway, where she focused on the accuracy of UAV technology in the mapping of coastal erosion. Harriet was also involved in a research project on the Celtic Voyager which increased her awareness of micro plastic pollution in Galway Bay. These research projects furthered her interest in coastal erosion and the interconnections between sea level rise, climate change, enhanced weather patterns and the impact that these have on coastlines and she is now passionate about informing others of the detrimental effects of single use plastics and impact of changing coastlines. Her goal as Atlantic Ambassador is to further her ocean literacy, to promote the sustainable use of ocean resources and to bridge the gap between climate scientists, national policy makers and local communities.

Hajar Bouzaidi holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, a master’s degree in Marine Environment and Aquaculture, and she is currently a PhD student in Marine Sciences at the University Abdelmalek Essaadi, Morocco. Her doctoral project is based on the stock assessment, the eco-biological and socio-economic study of a marine species. Hajar has not only a passion for the ocean but an undying love for it and feels responsible to protect it. To be an All-Atlantic Youth Ambassador is a big opportunity to share this passion with the aim of a better ocean for all.

Othman Cherkaoui Dekkaki obtained his master's degree in 2017 in Applied mathematics: Help in decision making from the Mohammed V University in Rabat, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the same field with a research focus on Optimization, Modelling, Optimal Control to assist decision-makers in their decisions. During this time, he has had the pleasured to give talks and teach classes about the importance of Modelling and Help in decision making. He believes that coming together as a community, including youth in decision making, would tremendously help us in sustainability topics.

Julia Biscaia Zamoner has a bachelor's degree in Oceanography and a master's degree in Ecology by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil, with a 15-month period at the University of Queensland, Australia. Her research was developed within the Long-Term Ecological Research at Brazilian Oceanic Islands (PELD-ILOC) and focused on temporal dynamics of reef benthic communities and the influence of oceanographic drivers. Currently, Julia is Co-founder and Executive Secretary at the Geração Oceano X Institute, developing projects in the Ocean-Climate-Water nexus towards Ocean health and sustainability. She is a volunteer at the Brazilian Oceanic Horizon Program from the Brazilian Future Ocean Panel (HOB-PainelMar), at the Women’s League for the Ocean, at the Sustainable Ocean Alliance Hub Brazil and at the UFSC’s Reef Ecology Lab, and she is also a fellow of the Youth Climate Leaders network and of Waterlution. Julia is constantly striving to gather knowledge in oceanography, ecology, climate and water resources and to convert it into accessible information to empower people and to support public policies in favor of the environment and society. As an All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador in Brazil, she is interested in science-communication processes and sustainability approaches, and her work is supported by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and National Council of State Foundations for Research Support (CONFAP). Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/julia-biscaia-zamoner Instagram: www.instagram.com/jubzamoner/

Daniel Venturini is a biologist with a master’s degree in ecology and conservation. Most of his career took place near the Ocean, working with cetacean research and marine protected areas. In 2016, he funded ECO360, an audiovisual project that uses storytelling for conservation. Daniel became a National Geographic explorer in 2018 when he worked with Virtual Reality and Ocean conservation. He is currently the head of education and communication of the Abrolhos Marine National Park. In 2020, he was awarded another NatGeo grant to conduct a project involving storytelling and research in the Amazon rainforest.

Raqueline Monteiro is a young Oceanographer and Plastic Pollution Researcher at Amazônia. Currently, she is a PhD student in Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries at the Federal University of Pará (Brazil) where she has been studying microplastic pollution in water and sediment at Amazon river and, microplastic ingested by biota as well. She is concerned about the plastic consumption by society and how it pollutes our Water planet, since a small river near our home until an amazing blue ocean. She hopes for a ‘deplastified’ future for us and the next generations. Rethink, reduce, and recycle for the survival of all living beings, including us.

Raquel Gaião Silva is a marine biologist and passionate about raising awareness for a more sustainable ocean. She has an international master's degree in Biodiversity and Marine Conservation. In 2018, Raquel was the first Portuguese to win the international GBIF Young Researchers Award due to her thesis about the impact of climate change on marine forests. She currently works at Bluebio Alliance and she is a volunteer at Ocean Alive, the organization that inspired her to make the winning video for the Global Youth Video Competition 2019 in the category "Cities and Local Action to combat Climate Change”. She is now, in her free time, working as project manager with Nuno Sá, an award-winning underwater cameraman

I am a PhD candidate at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork. I am interested in the impact of climate change on animal health, particularly bivalves such as oysters, mussels, and cockles, and how we can secure the aquaculture industry to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. My PhD research (funded by Horizon 2020 VIVALDI project and EU Interreg Atlantic Area projects COCKLES and BLUEFISH) explores the role of sunlight and UV radiation in bivalve host-pathogen dynamics. This research is greatly exciting as I get to employ field and lab-based experiments and molecular tools to investigate how marine environmental change impacts animal health and sustainable food security. I am also involved in marine mammal research, carrying out at-sea surveys to study whale and dolphin populations in the North-East Atlantic and carrying out cetacean strandings response and necropsy efforts with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. I am enthusiastic about communication and connecting communities to their natural heritage through increased Ocean Literacy. 

Doctor Élyne Dugény has a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Occidental Britanny and is currently a graduate Teaching and Research officer at Toulon University and the Marine Institute for Oceanography. Her participation in the international Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE), organized by the Swiss Polar Institute in 2016, inspired her to complete a Ph.D. in Marine Science, after having experienced one month on a Russian Icebreaker in the Atlantic from Germany to South Africa, with 50 other passionate graduated scientists from all over the world. Her current research work concerns Marine Microbial Ecology. She has always felt concerned about Nature protection and Biodiversity preservation. She grants a high interest in sharing Science with Society and considers it fundamental to raise people’s awareness of actual environmental challenges. She is convinced that education, mediation, and communication are the first step to enhance public interest in taking care of the planet. That’s why by being a Youth Atlantic Ambassador, she wishes to share the importance of protecting the Ocean to make people act in favor of a sustainable future.

Marina Cucuzza is a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) working with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) in the Office of Science and Technology & Climate Program Offices. Marina holds dual Master of Science degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Policy from the University of Maine, where her research focused on the resilience and management of Maine’s fishing communities in the face of ecological and socioeconomic changes. Marina is an All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador representing the United States, where she works to educate, advocate, and engage society in efforts focused on safeguarding the Atlantic’s future.

Ms. Eloïse Savineau holds a B.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of Aberdeen and has recently completed her M.Sc. in Oceanography at the University of Southampton, where she studied the impacts of salmon fish farm pollutants on benthic ecosystems. In the past, she has engaged in public outreach for the Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch on the Isle of Man, where she worked closely with the public to promote the use of citizen science for marine mammal research and conservation. She is currently interning at the Flanders Marine Institute in Belgium, with a focus on plankton research. Eloïse has a strong interest in ocean literacy and bridging the gap of knowledge transfer between scientists and non-scientists, to empower citizens to get involved in ocean science and advocacy. Eloïse’s work as an All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador is supported by JPI Oceans.

Theresa Keith is currently a Program Analyst in the Office of International Activities (NOAA Research) of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As part of her role she is the team lead for the Galway Statement and the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance. Previously, she was a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow working on U.S. engagement in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. She has an M.Sc. in Water Resource Policy and Management (Oregon State University/IHE Delft) and an M.A. in Water Cooperation and Diplomacy (UPEACE). Theresa grew up near the ocean and volunteered previously in the rehabilitation of marine mammals. She is particularly passionate about climate change, environmental education, and inclusive science and hopes to incorporate these themes during her time as an Ambassador. Twitter: @waterworldtrvlr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresalkeith/

Mr. Lopes has a degree in Biology Science by the University of Cabo Verde. Currently, working as a touristic Guide on Explore Cape Verde which is an eco-tourism company. He is running mainly Shark tours, Bird watching trips and Turtle walks. Working already in the tourism he was chosen as the Cabo Verde Youth Ambassador to take part in the creation of an Atlantic friendly certification for coastal industries. So far, he’s being doing meetings with coastal industries, tours company’s and Nature NGO's such as Hilton resort, Explore Cape Verde, Meliã resorts or Project Biodiversity. Often having many important meetings to do as with TUI which is one of the biggest touristic operators worldwide. These meetings are to see if the companies are already working with similar certifications and to see if they are willing to work with our Atlantic Friendly certification.

I’m a Physical Oceanographer interested in understanding the changes of the Sea Surface Temperature over the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and its potential ecological impact under the current scenario of climate change. I’m currently in the last months of my PhD program at the University of Buenos Aires, where I also carried out my undergraduate studies. I’ve developed my doctoral research in physical oceanography, focused on the understanding of the processes in the ocean-atmosphere interface that drive the observed variations of sea surface temperatures in the Argentinean Sea. This Sea hosts one of the most productive marine ecosystems, and documenting SST variability is an important step in developing and understanding the impact of climate change on those ecosystems. During my PhD I’ve participated in several experiences on board, in vessels from Germany and Argentina. I attended several courses on climate dynamics and ecological impact of ocean circulation to improve my knowledge on the subject. I've also taught oceanography uninterruptedly during the last five years at the same university. I believe that I’m a highly motivated and curious professional, eager to learn to build a better world for all.

My name is Kirstin Petzer and I am from Cape Town, South Africa. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and Environmental and Geographical Science in 2019 and I will have completed my Honours in Oceanography by the end of 2020 at UCT. My Honours project was on Upwelling Rates in the Southern Benguela and will carry on this topic into my Masters in 2021. I am interested in coastal oceanography because it directly affects people’s livelihoods and the sustainability of coastal economies, which is why I am honoured to be one of the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors.

Micaela Belen Stange, originally from Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, is a recent graduate of a Biological Sciences Degree with a final job during which she studied the foraging sites and possible migration routes of green turtles using stable isotopes and isoscapes under the support of the organization "The Leatherback Trust" and "IBIOMAR -CONICET". She completed her studies in Chubut, Patagonia Argentina, where she worked in parallel and actively developing environmental education programs dedicated to conservation and participated in several scientific projects. Micaela is a youth ambassador for Argentina and her focus through her youth ambassador activities has been the promotion of the ocean and the conscious use of his resources through education and active participation in the communities of two completely different regions of Argentina. Micaela has a deep belief that the participation and inclusion of communities and children are an essential element when working on any kind of conservation post.

Mr. Jorge Moreno is a master student of the International Master of Marine Biological Resources supported by the European Union, where he has studied in Ghent University (Belgium), Bergen University (Norway) and University Polytechnique of la Marche (Italy). Currently, Jorge is conducting his master thesis at the Instituto do Mar in the Azores. He undertook his undergraduate Biology degree in La Laguna University, in the Canary Islands (Spain). Jorge has always been passionate about protecting the Atlantic Ocean, collaborating in several initiatives and projects during his student years. Looking forward to this new ambassadorship, he believes this is a great opportunity to connect the small local communities along the Atlantic Ocean, joining efforts into better conservation of our Ocean. Jorge's work as an All-Atlantic Youth Ambassador is supported by PLOCAN (Plataforma Oceanica de Canarias).