Torsten Thiele is an expert in ocean governance and finance. He is the founder of Global Ocean Trust; Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam; a visiting fellow at the LSE Institute of Global Affairs; a senior advisor to the IUCN Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Ocean-Climate Platform.

Kaleigh Carlson will present key insights from her recent Masters’ dissertation on the motivations behind community-based resource management (CBRM) in a remote area of the Solomon Islands, where indigenous Kwaio communities are effectively integrating both local knowledge and scientific research in order to conserve their unique culture and wildlife.

Dr Raphaëla le Gouvello (DVM, PhD) has long been involved in the aquaculture field as a veterinarian and she is now working within IUCN’s Ecosystem-based Aquaculture Group of Experts, to explore and document the sustainability of aquaculture on a worldwide basis. She will be presenting some recent work on aquaculture and marine conservation conducted in Zanzibar and elsewhere.

Dr Guillermo Ortuño Crespo is a marine spatial ecologist whose research focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal overlap of high seas fisheries with biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. He was recently awarded his PhD in Marine Science and Conservation by Duke University and will soon be starting a postdoctoral research position at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Before taking up his present roles, Professor Mohammed Abu-Nimer served as Director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute (1999-2013) at the International Peace and Conflict Resolution programme of the American University. He has conducted interreligious conflict resolution training and interfaith dialogue workshops in conflict areas around the world, including Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Chad, Niger, Iraq (Kurdistan), Philippines (Mindanao) and Sri Lanka.

Robert Suarez is the founder and director of the Forest Venture Lab where he originates, develops and grows sustainable climate initiatives in the areas of land stewardship, forest health, carbon sequestration and the conversion of woody biomass to higher-value products and services.