SEAwise Network

The SEAwise project is a dynamic research partnership made up of 24 partner institutions, drawn from 12 countries across Europe. Our partners represent, and bring expertise from, academic institutions and universities, scientific advisory bodies, fisher organisations, EU Member State governments, and EU-wide legislative councils.

The project is led by a core team of partners who make up our Steering Committee, comprising leaders of each Work Theme and Regional Case Study. The Steering Committee is supported by a dedicated Advisory Council, and receives input and feedback from our Stakeholder Network in a collaborative structure that enables SEAwise to remain responsive to new knowledge and emerging user needs.

STEERING COMMITTEE

The Steering Committee is responsible for the strategic planning, coordination of research, and monitoring of progress on all SEAwise tasks. The Committee is made up of the Project Coordinator, all Work Theme leaders, and the Regional Case Study leaders. The group meets regularly to ensure the timely progress and delivery of high-quality research, as well as the coordination of updates and cross-cutting research across all areas of our work.

Anna Rindorf

Anna’s research encompasses species interactions, spatial distribution, and the growth of fish species in the North Sea. She also has extensive experience participating in and leading advisory groups, including several ICES working groups. Anna is the Project Coordinator for SEAwise.

Jochen Depestele

Jochen studies effects of fisheries, gear developments to improve trawl selectivity and reduce fuel consumption, management of mixed fisheries, and trade-offs between ecosystem effects and fisheries values. He sits on several ICES working groups including Fisheries Benthic Impact and Trade-offs. He leads the Western Waters Case Study.

Dimitrios Damalas

Dimitrios has a multidisciplinary background that includes fisheries population dynamics, climate change impacts, stakeholder perception and EU policies. He sits on STECF and is involved in the EU initiatives CERES and PANDORA. Dimitrios leads the Spatial Management Impacts work theme for SEAwise.

Isabella Bitetto

Isabella’s research centres on modelling fish population dynamics, and she is the developer of the BEMTOOL model. She contributes to the EU Data Collection Framework program and is closely involved in Mediterranean stock assessments through her work with STECF. She is the Social and Economic Effects of and on Fishing Work Theme Lead for SEAwise.

Alexander Kempf

Alex has expertise in multi-species and ecosystem modelling to investigate fisheries management strategies, and has been involved in stock and bio-economic impact assessments as part of ICES and STECF. He has chaired ICES working groups on multispecies stock assessment methods and the North Sea working group, and has participated in several EU projects.

Dave Reid

Dave has spent many years working on fisheries sustainability, fishing capacity and effort, and industry collaboration. He chaired the ICES Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Steering Group and has been involved in a variety of EU-funded projects. Dave leads the is the Ecological Effects of Fisheries work theme for SEAwise.

Dorleta García

Dorleta develops mathematical models of fishery systems that incorporate fisher behaviour and mixed-fisheries management, including the model FLBEIA. She is the international coordinator for the northern stock of European hake and participates in several ICES working groups. She is the Evaluation of Management Strategies Work Theme Lead for SEAwise.

Elliot Brown

Elliot’s research has focused on a wide range of subjects from fish physiology to socio-ecological model building. He works with coastal and recreational fisheries, and is experienced in stakeholder collaboration, citizen science and systematic reviews. Elliot is the Baltic Sea Case Study Lead for SEAwise.

Marc Taylor

Marc’s research interests lie in population dynamics, ecosystem modelling, and sustainable management of stocks. He has developed models for evaluating management of mixed fisheries in the North Sea, and sits on ICES working groups for North Sea stocks. Marc is SEAwise's North Sea Case Study Co-Lead.

Maria Teresa Spedicato

Maria Teresa has a multidisciplinary background that includes expertise in scientific trawl survey at sea, fish and fisheries biology, fisheries management and stakeholder perspectives. She is currently involved in GFCM initiatives on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME). Maria Teresa is the Mediterranean Case Study Lead for SEAwise.

Marie Savina-Rolland

Marie has a background in ecosystem and population modelling, with her work feeding into decision-making for regional marine planning and marine resources management. She sits on several ICES working groups and previously helped to lead the Horizon 2020 DiscardLess project. She leads the Ecological Effects on Fisheries work theme for SEAwise.

Ole Henrik Haslund

Ole Henrik’s interests span stock management, bycatch, ecosystem interactions, and aquaculture. He has been involved in various Horizon 2020 projects including DiscardLess, PANDORA, and MYFISH, the latter of which aims to provide an operational framework for the implementation of the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) approach to fisheries management. Ole is the Project Management Work Theme Lead for SEAwise.

Stefan Neuenfeldt

Stefan’s work focuses on species interactions in the complex and geographically diverse Baltic environment. He sits on ICES working groups on multispecies interactions and ecosystem modelling, and coordinates the Horizon 2020 PANDORA project.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Our Advisory Council is responsible for ensuring that SEAwise remains relevant, incorporates stakeholder needs, and is grounded in high-quality science. Composed of experienced representatives from advisory organisations, the fishing industry, environmental NGOs, US and Australian EBFM experts, and coordinators of other EU Horizon 2020 research projects, the Council provides independent feedback and advice on research findings and application.

STAKEHOLDER NETWORK

The SEAwise Stakeholder Network is a dynamic, collaborative network made up of fisheries managers, industry representatives, NGOs, scientists, and members of the public from across Europe. Its knowledge and input is central to the success of SEAwise, and ensures that the work remains relevant and fit-for-purpose in real-world contexts. Through interactive workshops and meetings which kicked off in October 2021, the Network engages with SEAwise research as “expert advice users”, commenting on key priorities and formats for EBFM advice, to ensure that SEAwise is informed by a comprehensive understanding of societal needs to deliver effective EBFM tools.

The Stakeholder Network is open to new members at any time. Our goal is to understand any challenges you face, the needs you have, and what your key priorities are. If you are interested in joining the network, or think you could contribute in any way, please get in touch.