Secretariat

Maria is a Biological Oceanographer with expertise in plankton ecology and experience in Science Diplomacy and Coordination. She holds a PhD in Marine Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling (Bristol University, UK), an MSc in Environmental Biology (University of Crete, Greece), and a BSc in Marine Sciences (Aegean University, Greece). Before joining EPB, Maria was a Scientist and EU Coordinator for the G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean Initiative at Mercator Ocean International (France), and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (USA). She has extensive experience leading workshops, organizing initiatives, and fostering international collaboration. She currently serves as a lead author for the IPBES monitoring assessment (Chapter 4).

Kylie is a Marine Biologist with expertise in whale ecology and experience completing research in both the Antarctic and the Arctic. She completed her PhD (The University of Queensland, Australia) on humpback whales that feed in Antarctica over summer, and postdoctoral research in Alaska (Alaska Sealife Center, USA). Before joining EPB, she worked for the Swedish Museum of Natural History as a marine mammal expert, and has held adjunct roles at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA) and the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (Australia). She has experience in managing research consortiums across multiple countries, and advising policy makers within international conventions to ensure effective use of research results internationally.

Marije conducted her Master research on Svalbard during her study in Human Geography. She later on represented the Netherlands during the Emerging Leaders program of Arctic Frontiers where she expanded her network in the Arctic science community. She continued active engagement in events, such as the Dutch Polar Symposium and the Dutch state visit to Norway. Marije has been chairwoman at the Arctic Explorer Foundation since 2020.

Irma has conducted research on seasonal labor migration in Sweden’s green industries, focusing on berry-picking and forestry. She holds a PhD in Human Geography from Umeå University. Since completing her thesis, she has worked within the interdisciplinary research platform Future Forests - a collaboration between Umeå University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Skogforsk - primarily in a coordination role. She is currently a Project Coordinator at the Arctic Centre at Umeå University and provides administrative support to EPB.