Mapping the global ocean genome

Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

A worldwide leader in biological oceanography and marine ecology, Prof Carlos Duarte was named one of the most influential scientists in the world by Thompson Reuters in 2021. His current research focuses on understanding the effects of climate change in marine ecosystems with the aim of rebuilding marine life by 2050.

Carlos has worked in a range of aquatic environments from the tropics to polar ecosystems, and early on in his career became a world-leading authority on the ecology of seagrass meadows. Since 2021 he has served as the executive director for the Global Coral R&D Accelerator Platform (CORDAP). Carlos has published more than 900 scientific papers.

PhD Student
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Elisa Laiolo is a marine biologist whose main interest is in microbial ecology – with a focus on sediment microbial communities. Using metagenomics, she investigates patterns of microbial diversity, examining the functional potential and metabolic adaptations of the communities inhabiting different aquatic habitats.

Elisa is part of the Red Sea Research Center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Senior Researcher
Institute of Marine Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain

Marine microbial microbiologist, Prof Silvia Acinas, has an interest in ecology, genomics, and evolution. Her work focuses on linking microbial genetic diversity with functional capacities using metagenomics, as well as identifying the evolutionary mechanisms underlying diversification processes.

Since 2009, Silvia has been the coordinator of a prokaryotic consortium within the TARA Oceans global expedition, which aims to identify the full extent of invisible marine biodiversity. She also leads DeepMalaspinomics, a project which is working on the large-scale sequencing of deep sea ocean samples.

Research Professor
Institute of Marine Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain

Prof Josep M Gasol is interested in marine planktonic microbe abundance, activity, and diversity. He studies the role and effects of planktonic microbes in and on ecosystems, as well as how physical changes in the marine environment affect these communities.

During his career, Josep has undertaken oceanographic research in Antarctica, the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean, as well as studying lakes ecosystems in Patagonia, Canada, Africa, and Europe. He coordinated microbial work for the 2010 Malaspina Ocean Circumnavigation Expedition and is currently head of the consolidated research group ‘Microbial Diversity and Function in Aquatic Environments’ at the Institute of Marine Sciences, Spain.

International Ocean Policy Advisor
Oceano Azul Foundation, Portugal

International environmental lawyer Peggy Kalas is the former director of the High Seas Alliance, where she was engaged in organizing coalition efforts at the United Nations (UN) to develop the High Seas Treaty for the conservation and protection of marine life beyond national jurisdiction.

Peggy also served as the UN Coordinator of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, orchestrating efforts at the UN General Assembly to limit deep sea bottom trawling in international waters. As an International Policy Advisor at the Oceano Azul Foundation, Peggy works to promote awareness, engagement, and behavioral change to protect and recover our oceans.

Co-Founder and Co-CEO
New Atlantis Labs, USA

Courtney Nichols Gould is successful entrepreneur. She co-founded NewAtlantis Labs in 2021 with the aim of addressing the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change by providing a path to financial independence for Marine Protected Areas around the world.

As Co-CEO of NewAtlantis Labs, Courtney works to align communities, government, industry, and individuals to improve the ecological health of our oceans. She has created a range of successful business start-ups throughout her career and specializes in the development of data-driven platforms, models, products, and services.

Senior Program Manager
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), USA

Dr Heidi Weiskel is a marine ecologist with a lifelong dedication to coastal protection, who works at the intersections of ecology, law, climate change, and coastal environmental justice.

Prior to joining the IUCN, Heidi worked for more than a decade at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, an international NGO that provides pro bono support for public interest environmental attorneys working to protect the environment and local communities from harmful developments. She was also Directory of Pollution Policy at the Pews Ocean Commission, which developed recommendations for US Congress to improve national marine resource laws and regulations. Heidi has also held roles in Europe as an environmental research fellow at the Hague, and as a science editor for UNESCO in Paris.