Emma McKinley | Chair Emma is currently a Ser Cymru Research Fellow within the RESILCOAST cluster at the University of Cardiff, Wales. Her research areas of interest include: societal interactions with marine and coastal environments, marine spatial planning, ecosystem management and ecosystem services, understanding public connections with our seas and the role of PPR in marine policy, coastal community sustainability, regeneration and Blue growth.
Tim Acott | Co-Chair Tim is a Reader in Human Geography at the University of Greenwich,Director of the Greenwich Maritime Centre and Vice Chair of the Coastal and Marine Research Group at the Royal Geographic Society. Tim’s work focuses on understanding the social and cultural importance of fisheries through sense of place and cultural ecosystem services, including thinking about small-scale fisheries in the context of Responsible Tourism and socio-natural values of wetlands from a co-constructionist perspective.
Katherine Yates | Co-Chair Katherine is currently a lecturer in Global ecology and conservation at Salford University, UK and is a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow working with the UK Marine Management Organisation, facilitating the incorporation of cutting-edge science into policy and management. Her research interests include multi-disciplinary approaches to environmental management particularly in marine protected areas and fisheries management, tropical ecology and conservation, and fishers perceptions of management and their spatial priorities for fishing access.
Martin Le Tissier | Website Development Martin is a Senior Research Fellow based at MaREI, Environmental Research Institute at UCC, Ireland. Martin’s work has a strong focus on education and professional training with institutional development. He has practical experience to develop capacity building and institutional strategic responses to adaptation to climate change, coastal development and management, and participatory approaches to developing coastal resources and livelihoods.
Karen Alexander | International Officer Karen is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Marine Socioecology, and the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, at the University of Tasmania. She is a human geographer with wide-ranging interests, centring on marine governance. Karen uses interdisciplinary research to address real-world social issues arising from ‘blue growth’ (the developing marine economy) and to facilitate ‘blue governance’ (sustainable management of marine resources). Karen set up the Australian chapter of the Marine Social Science Network and is MSSN’s International Officer.
Emily Easman | Communications Officer Emily grew up in the South West and now living in Cornwall. Studying a BSc in Conservation Biology and MSc in Wildlife Conservation she realised that there was something missing from a lot of conservation science…. People! This sparked her passion for science communication and community engagement in our amazing coastal heritage. Now, as Exeter Marine project coordinator, she gets to spend her days sharing excellent marine science with people, communities and industry.
“I’m happiest when I’m in the sea (or ‘on’ the sea on my stand-up paddleboard)! On those rather more wet, windy and ‘mizzle’ filled days when I can’t get to the sea, (my 1966 Triumph Herald doesn’t like the rain too much) you’ll probably find me whipping up a batch of chocolate croissants or planning my dream wildlife-friendly garden!”
Laura Ferguson | Communications Officer Laura’s research centres on natural and cultural heritage, including issues relating to governance, tourism, and resilience and adaptation. In addition to her social sciences work, she has a scientific background in environmental engineering, specialising in extreme cold climate water resources engineering, and GIS. She is currently a Research Fellow working on the coastal and maritime cultural heritage project PERICLES (https://www.pericles-heritage.eu) at Queen’s University Belfast, as well as writing up her recent research on cultural heritage in the Arctic settlement of Longyearbyen in Svalbard. Laura is also a founding member of the Svalbard Social Science Initiative.
Chloe Wenman | Knowledge Exchange Officer (Policy) Chloe has worked across the public, private and third sectors. She currently works for the Marine Conservation Society as a Policy and Advocacy Manager in their Welsh team. She has worked from the ground (talking to the public!) to the top (talking to politicians!) on a range of policy issues, and is really passionate about linking up both ends of this ‘change’ spectrum. https://withinandwithout615.wordpress.com/
Rebecca Short | Secretary Rebecca is a Research Fellow with the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, UK. Her research has focused on small-scale fisheries, human health and livelihoods in Africa, recently broadening to development of an Oceans and Human Health research agenda. Her PhD presented a first investigation into the socio-ecological dynamics of mosquito net fishing; a global analysis of the prevalence and policy environment alongside a detailed case study in Northern Mozambique. Her research interests lie in the contribution of small-scale fisheries to the Sustainable Development Goals broadly, but with a particular interest in health and gender equality.