Communities & ecosystems under pressure: livelihoods and marine biodiversity

Dr. Julian Walcott is a highly motivated Barbadian ecologist and academic with over fifteen years of experience in conservation and research. He currently serves as a Full-time Lecturer at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, where he coordinates the Tropical Coastal and Marine Resource Management specialization. 
Dr. Walcott’s academic background includes a Ph.D. in Ecology, an M.Sc. in Natural Resource and Environmental Management, and a B.Sc. in Ecology with Biology. His doctoral research specialized in the inter-nesting behaviours and habitat utilization of hawksbill turtles, leading to the proposed design of a biologically meaningful Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). 
Throughout his career, Dr. Walcott has held several significant roles, including:

• Research Assistant with the Barbados Sea Turtle Project (2008–2015), involving extensive field monitoring and satellite tracking.

• Technical Officer for the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway (2016–2024), where he managed biodiversity data and supported conservation management across the region.

His expertise spans terrestrial and marine ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, and the study of invasive species such as lionfish and sun coral. He is a proficient researcher with advanced skills in spatial analysis (GIS) and is a PADI-certified Rescue Diver with over 500 research dives. Dr. Walcott is also an active member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and serves on the Barbados Fisheries Advisory Committee.

Brigitta Ine van Tussenbroek is principal research scientist at the Seagrass Research lab at the facilities on the Mexican Caribbean coast of the Reef Systems Unit, Marine Science Institute of the Mexican National Autonomous University (UNAM). For over 30 years, she has studied processes and functions of seagrass meadows in maintaining the ecological balance of the coastlines of Caribbean Sea; services that are undervalued to date. She has published works and educated students on tropical seagrass ecology, population genetics, reproduction, and management. Since 2015, she has also dedicated efforts to the study of the impacts of the massive influxes of holopelagic Sargassum spp.  on the Caribbean coastal ecosystems.

With more than 20 years of experience working on projects that range from pure marine species research and monitoring (cetaceans, corals, seagrass) to community development focusing on rural ecotourism, waste recycling, seaweed valorisation and women empowerment and consultations to the government on the management of biodiversity and building strategies for marine protected areas, working on international level and with small island communities.

Professor Shehu Latunji Akintola is a leading Nigerian fisheries ecologist scientist whose work focuses on coastal ecology, fisheries, and aquaculture. He has shown interest in the emerging challenges of Sargassum influxes in West Africa. He is widely recognized for advancing research and policy dialogue on sustainable Blue Economy development, particularly through fisheries management and aquaculture development. His contributions continue to shape regional strategies that strengthen coastal resilience and promote environmentally responsible economic growth.