Ana Sequiera is an Associate Professor at the Australian National University (ANU) leading pioneering research in the field of marine megafauna movement and conservation. She is the Research Director of MegaMove, and a Fenner Medallist by the Australian Academy of Science. She develops models to better understand the marine environment, with a focus on marine spatial planning and conservation specializing in the movement ecology of marine megafauna (such as sharks, whales, seals, and polar bears). Ana has secured multiple prestigious fellowships and grants, including from the European Commission (under H2020 framework), the Australian Research Council, and from globally renowned philanthropies such as Pew Marine Fellowship from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Her passion is the conservation of marine megafauna and she works with hundreds of researchers from around the world to achieve this goal.

J Murray Roberts is a Professor of Applied Marine Biology & Ecology at the University of Edinburgh, where he founded the Changing Oceans research group and chairs the Joint Working Group between St Abbs Marine Station and the University. He led the EU Atlantic research programs ATLAS and iAtlantic and in 2022, was appointed Sargasso Sea Commissioner and a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council. His research focuses on deep-sea cold-water corals and marine ecosystems. Roberts has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and the textbook ‘Cold-water Corals.’ He contributes to IPCC Reports, with fieldwork across the UK, Norway, Ireland, the U.S., Cape Verde, and the Pitcairn Islands. Previously, he directed Heriot-Watt University’s Centre for Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology.

Dr. Rodríguez Chaves has more than twenty years of experience working with environmental non-governmental organizations. Currently she is part of the Ocean Program within the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA); and a senior postdoctoral fellow in the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute.

Marcel Jaspars is Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen where he leads the Marine Biodiscovery Centre which focuses on marine resources for novel pharmaceuticals, and to investigate fundamental questions in marine chemical ecology and biosynthesis. Marcel has been active at national and international levels to develop the science, its applications/industrial uptake and associated policy involved in marine biodiscovery and biotechnology. He provides scientific advice to the UK, EU and UN for global policy processes on ocean conservation and digital sequence information via reports, papers and taking part in discussion meetings.

Dr. Vousden is an Honorary Professor of Ocean Governance at Rhodes University, South Africa, and former Chairperson of GESAMP, an expert advisory body to the United Nations on marine environmental issues. With a 38-year career in various governmental and U.N. roles related to environmental management, he has developed and applied advanced monitoring, analysis techniques, and innovative management and governance mechanisms, especially for global oceans and coasts. Dr. Vousden has also provided expertise to numerous global marine ecosystem management and ocean governance initiatives. His current work focuses on management and stewardship of marine ecosystems in international waters.

Andrei Polejack (he/his) is the Director for Research and Innovation at INPO – Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Oceânicas (the Brazilian National Institute for Ocean Research). PhD in Maritime Affairs from the World Maritime University, Sweden and MSc. in Evolutionary Ecology from Universidade de Brasília, Brasil, formerly acted as the Coordinator for Ocean, Antarctica and Geosciences at the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Interested in Ocean Science Diplomacy as a field of study and theoretically passionate about post- and de-colonial reasoning applied to international relations and its many ways of linking with ocean science.

Juliano Palacios Abrantes is a marine scientist interested in how climate change is affecting the oceans, and the management and conservation of marine fisheries that straddle international boundaries. He is particularly committed to supporting evidence-based decision-making, especially in Latin American countries. Currently, he holds a position as a Postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries of The University of British Columbia.

Lisa Levin is a Distinguished Professor Emerita at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. She is a deep sea scientist who studies the ecology of seafloor ecosystems and how they are modified by humans and climate change. She brings science to policy makers through the Deep-Ocean Stewardship initiative, authorship on multiple IPCC reports, and engagement with the Global Ocean Oxygen Network.

Julian Barbière is head of the Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. Educated as an environmental scientist, he has approximately 25 years of experience at the international level in the field of ocean sustainability, ocean governance, science/policy interface, and the development of technical cooperation in the field of ocean science. Playing a critical role in the development of several UN initiatives such as the preparation phase of the World Ocean Assessment, the technical framework leading to SDG14, or a global initiative in marine spatial planning that has inspired many nations to move towards ecosystem-based management approaches. Since 2017, he has been spearheading the development and coordination of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), also acting as the Decade Global Coordinator.

Lea-Anne Henry is a deep-sea scientist with expertise in seamount ecology and the cumulative impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on deep-sea ecosystems. She has >20 years working at the national and international science-policy interface, translating science into action through marine spatial planning and leading to describing and establishing marine protected areas, vulnerable marine ecosystems, ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, and important shark and ray and marine mammal areas. She is a Co-Director and the Scientific Director of Mara Consultants Ltd. 

Fran Humphries is an Associate Professor at Griffith University, Australia, specialising in biodiversity law, law of the sea and intellectual property. She has led large projects on governance of genetic resources, digital sequence information and associated traditional knowledge for governments, NGOs and United Nations organisations. She was on the International Council of Environmental Law delegation during the BBNJ treaty intergovernmental conferences and preparatory commission meetings.  .

Leandra Gonçalves is an assistant professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), with over 15 years of experience in coastal and marine governance, focusing on the science-policy interface and gender issues in the ocean. A biologist with a PhD in International Relations and a postdoctoral degree from USP's Oceanographic Institute. Leandra has served as a Lead Author for UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook 6 and the IPBES Nexus Report. She also collaborates with WEBLUE - Gender Equity for Ocean, a UN-endorsed initiative under the Decade of Ocean Science.

Carina Costa de Oliveira: Associate Professor of International and Environmental Law at the Law Faculty, University of Brasília, Brazil.Coordinator of the Research group on Law, Natural Resources and Sustainability (Gern-UnB). Research areas: Public and Private International Law, Environmental Law, Conservation and Sustainable use of Marine Resources.

Sahan Abeysekara is lead of Environmental Policy & Strategy at Lloyd’s Register. He is an ex-sea farer and Marine Engineer by profession. Sahan represent IACS at IMO for marine biosafety. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and the Engineering Council.

Nicola Ferri holds a PhD in International Law and currently serves as Senior Legal and Compliance Adviser at the GFCM. International lawyer with strong specialisation in ocean governance and over twenty years of professional experience in major global organisations and fora. His areas of expertise include blue economy (at international, regional and national levels), design and implementation of capacity-building projects and application of monitoring, control and surveillance technologies. Furthermore, he has deep familiarity with the BBNJ Agreement and the work of the GEF under the International Waters focal area. Dr Ferri has authored several peer-reviewed publications on various international law topics.

Dani Diz is an Associate Professor at the Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, specialised in international ocean governance. Dani has over 25 years of experience in the field of environmental law and oceans governance, with her main research area focusing on international marine biodiversity law and policy. She regularly participates as an expert at UN meetings related to the law of the sea, marine biodiversity, and fisheries, and conducts policy and legal studies related to marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable use to UN agencies, government institutions and civil society.

Torsten Thiele is an international expert in ocean governance and sustainable blue finance, drawing on over 20 years experience in project and infrastructure finance with leading financial institutions and a decade of ocean research and practice. He participated in the High Seas treaty negotiations as IUCN observer and is Co-Chair of the independent expert advisory group on the BBNJ financial mechanism. He is Founder of Global Ocean Trust and Honorary Fellow at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.

Henry de Novion is the Director of the Brazilian Genetic Heritage Department, at the Ministry of Environment,  Executive Secretary of the Brazilian National Competent Authority on Access and Benefit Sharing (CGEN), and Executive Secretary of the Brazilian Benefit Sharing Fund.

Dr. Claudio Chiarolla is Legal Officer at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, currently supporting the CGIAR Genebanks, based at the Alliance Nairobi Regional Office. He previously served in various capacities at the FAO, WIPO, UNDP, and at the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. He has also advised the Chair of the G77+China and supported the team of Independent International Legal Advocates (IILA) on BBNJ issues, in the context of the negotiations leading to the adoption of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) under UNCLOS. Dr. Chiarolla holds a PhD from Queen Mary University of London where he specialized in international and comparative patent law.