Our team

A consortium of 15 partners coordinated by ACTeon, will work on ResponSEAble. The strengths of our Consortium are the combination of expertise and skills, the capacity to cover all components of the ocean knowledge system, from the production of knowledge to its final use experience in a wide range of communication and literacy products and initiatives.

Our team coverage of the main regional seas relevant to the EU (the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic façade) Its transatlantic dimension an excellent access to the main regional, European and international Networks on Marine knowledge.

The Ocean Literacy Think Tank (or OLTT) of the ResponSEAble project is a group of 10 high-level representatives of the human-ocean system. The members of the OLTT come from different organizations representing:

• Stakeholders of the wider human-ocean system, e.g. representatives of economic sectors, organisations in charge of, and/or committed to, the protection of marine ecosystems;

• Stakeholders of the knowledge & literacy system, scientists, educators, professionals specialised in training and awareness raising for different target groups.

As ResponSEAble activities further develop, it is expected that additional stakeholders will join the OLTT, be it as permanent members or as ad-hoc members (because of the issues discussed by the OLTT, and the importance of liaising with specific parallel initiatives). The OLTT discussions and meetings are also open to the European Commission (DG RTD and DG ENV), sister projects SeaChange and AORAC, who will act as observers.

The OLTT aims at guiding and steering the ResponSEAble project so it delivers high-quality and relevant results in a cost-effective manner.

Paul Snelgrove

Memorial University of Newfoundland / USA

Dr. Snelgrove is a Professor of Ocean Sciences and Biology at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. Since 2014 he has been Director of the NSERC Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, a national research network in Canada that has already trained some 100 students working on all 3 of Canada’s oceans to develop new tools and approaches to support sustainable oceans. From 2003-2013, Dr. Snelgrove held a Canada Research Chair in Boreal and Cold Ocean Systems, and prior to that an NSERC Industrial Chair in Fisheries Conservation. He recently led the synthesis of the International Census of Marine Life research program, where he was a member of the program’s Scientific Steering Committee. Dr. Snelgrove published the book “Discoveries of the Census of Marine Life: Making Ocean Life Count” with Cambridge University Press in 2010 and was a TED Global speaker in 2011. He was awarded the 2013 Timothy Parsons Medal for Excellence in Marine Sciences in Canada. He sits on the editorial boards of 5 international journals and has reviewed hundreds of manuscripts and proposals for a wide range of international journals and funding agencies around the world. He is frequently called upon as an expert panelist in Canada, and US and Europe, and has been an invited plenary speaker at meetings around the world.

Linwood Pendleton

DUKE University / USA

Linwood is an American environmental economist and a Senior Scholar of Ocean and Coastal Policy at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. Pendleton served as the Director of Ocean and Coastal Policy for the Nicholas Institute from 2009-2013, and now focuses his time on international initiatives including projects focused on marine ecosystem services, ocean acidification, blue carbon, and deep sea management. Pendleton was the Acting Chief Economist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 2011-2013. Pendleton is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, part of the Nicholas School of the Environment. After a first stay in 2014 as a LabexMER visiting professor in Brest, he was recruited in October 2014 as the Labex MER International Chair of Excellence for Marine Ecosystem Services within the Centre for the Law and Economics of the Sea (AMURE) at the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM - University of Western Brittany).

Marta Ruiz

HELCOM / Finland

Marta Ruiz is Associate Professional Secretary of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM). Before joining HELCOM in May 2013 as project staff, Marta was in charge of the Technical Secretary of the Spanish Technological Platform for the Protection of the Coast and the Marine Environment (2011-13). She worked as technical advisor on marine pollution issues both in the Spanish Ministry of Public Works (2010-11 & 2006-08) and in the private sector (2008-09).
Both Marta’s MSc and PhD are in the field of marine sciences as well as her postdoctoral stay at the Technical University of Crete (2004-2006).

Francesca Santoro

IOC-UNESCO / Belgium

Francesca Santoro is Programme Specialist at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. At the IOC she is in charge of the ocean literacy activities. She previously coordinated the setting up of the Tsunami Early Warning System for the North Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas. She holds a MSc in Environmental Sciences, with a specialization in Marine Sciences, and a PhD in Analysis and Governance for Sustainable Development. Before joining the IOC in 2011, she was lecturer at the PhD Programme on Science and Management of Climate Change of University Ca’ Foscari of Venice. Previously she collaborated with several research centres such as the Italian National Council of Research, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, and the Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable development of the University of Maastricht.

Gail Scowcroft

University of Rhode Island/COSEE / USA

Gail Scowcroft is the Associate Director of the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, an international facility for ocean science research and education. She is the Executive Director of the Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE). Initiated with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), COSEE is now one of the largest global networks of ocean science research and education institutions. Gail is also principal investigator (PI) and Director of the NSF funded Alliance Office for the Climate Change Education Partnership, a network of U.S. climate change education programs. She is the PI for the NSF funded Marine Technology for Teachers and Students program, which engages teams of high school teachers and students with cutting edge research and communications technology. She is currently serving a four-year term on the U.S. Ocean Research Advisory Panel, the federal advisory committee established to provide independent advice and guidance to the Cabinet of the President of the U.S. For the first 18 years of her career, Gail conducted ocean science research focused on climate reconstruction and global climate change. For the last 20 years, she has directed ocean and climate science education programs. Gail is an international leader in ocean science education, lecturing across the globe on ocean science and climate change issues.

Guy HERROUIN

Pôle Mer Méditerranée / France

Diplomas : Ingénieur du Génie Maritime (1967), Master in Physics Science. Degree in economics science University Panthéon Sorbonne. Between 1969-1983 Guy was working as engineer, at Bertin Company, a contract research organization in different fields. R&D projects of high speed surface crafts, then technical manager. From 1983 to 2006 Guy was part of Ifremer, French Institute of Research for Sea Exploitation, as a Director of Engineering, technology and computer science division, with 300 engineers and technicians and Director of Mediterranean Ifremer plants. From 2005 he has been among the founders of Pôle Mer Méditerranée. and a Consultant for DCNS Company to study new areas of high potential activity such as marine renewable energy (2006-2008). From 2008 he has been a Consultant-Expert for Pôle Mer Méditerranée (maritime cluster) for industrial-research association for competitiveness in the sea activities: energy, environment, bio resources, ecological engineering, instrumentation…

Ingo Sartorius

PlasticsEurope / Germany

Managing Director at PlasticsEurope. Ingo has a PhD in chemistry from the Technical University Brunswick. In 1995: CES, Consulting Engineers Salzgitter GmbH. Since 1996: Verband Kunststofferzeugende Industrie e.V. (PlasticsEurope, Association of Plastics Producing Industry)
From 2008 Ingo has been a Managing Director of the Section Plastics and Environment and since May 2012 he became a Managing Director for Consumer and Environmental Affairs.

Steve Fletcher

UNEP-WCMC / UK

Steve leads the Marine Programme UNEP-WCMC in its work to support the integration of biodiversity considerations into marine policy and practice. To achieve this, the Marine Programme focuses on developing and maintaining global marine biodiversity datasets and supports enhanced marine policy-making and decision-processes through testing new approaches, sharing effective practices, and capacity building. Prior to joining the Centre, Steve was Director of the Centre for Marine and Coastal Policy Research at Plymouth University, where he retains an Associate Professorship in Marine Policy. Steve has an inter-disciplinary background, with a PhD in marine policy and an MSc in integrated coastal management. His personal expertise includes marine conservation, marine planning and management, marine policy analysis, marine ecosystem services assessment, and community engagement in marine governance.

Pim Visser

VisNed - National Association of Producer Organisations in Dutch Fisheries / Netherlands

Chief Executive VisNed. Pim has studied at the Nijenrode Business School BBA (1978) and the Rotterdam School of Management MBA (1981). Pim Visser started his career in the IT Consultancy from1981 to 1982. From 1982 to 2002 he worked at Projects and Sales in Shipbuilding for the Dutch and International Fishing Industry. Since 2002 Pim Visser is manager of Manager Fish Auctions Northern Holland. In that capacity he was president of EAFPA (European Ports and Auctions 2004-2010). Now Pim Visser combines (now part-time) management of the fish auctions with several positions: Chief Executive VisNed, association of Dutch Producer Organisations (2010-now); Member North Sea AC Ex Com (2004-now); President of EAPO (European Fish Producer Organisations 2014-now)

Camiel Derichs

The Marine Stewardship Council / Netherlands

Camiel Derichs is the Regional Director in Europe for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). He’s been leading the development of the MSC program across Europe since May 2013. Before being appointed to this role, since 2005 Camiel served in a variety of other roles in the MSC. Setting up several regional offices in Netherlands, Sweden and working both with the technical development of the fisheries standards, as well as with actors in the supply chain on topics such as CSR and sustainable seafood procurement policies, as well as sustainable seafood marketing. Before joining MSC, Camiel was working in the Multi-National Financial conglomerate, ING-Group as a product manager. He holds a BSc and MSc from Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) in Business Administration, and a MSc from Tromso University (Norway) in International Fisheries Management.