Antonio Di Franco is senior researcher at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Palermo, Italy) where he has been recruited in 2019. Prior to this he has been post-doc researcher at University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis (Nice, France) from 2012 to 2019. Previous to this he has been postdoc reasercher at University of Salento (Lecce, Italy) where he also carried out his PhD in Fundamental Ecology. During his PhD he has been visiting researcher at Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Blanes, Spain) in 2008, and at Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of (Adelaide, Australia) in 2011. The research activities he carries out are primarily centred on 3 interrelated axes: Assessing the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) for conservation of natural populations and management of exploited fish stocks; Estimate patterns of connectivity and dispersal and their effect on fish populations to design effective networks of MPAs; Investigate MPAs, small scale fisheries (SSF) and fishing resources as a socio-ecological system (SES) integrating both natural and human components and providing ecosystem services. He participated in 7 international and more than 30 national research projects, mainly focusing on the role of MPAs as area-based conservation and management tool. Scientific coordinator of 2 research projects on MPAs. Scientific responsible or co-responsible of Work Packages or Activities in 4 national and international research projects.

Joachim Claudet specializes in marine protected area (MPA) evaluations and linked social-ecological research at the land-sea interface, using place-based case studies to inform management or meta-analyzes to impact policy.

He is interested in research that helps solve sustainability problems, identify solutions that benefit both nature and people, and develop indicators and decision-making tools. Lead author of two IPBES assessments, he is involved in several scientific committees and international working group such as the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the Blue Climate Initiative or the Ocean and Climate Platform. Joachim Claudet edited a book on MPAs at Cambridge University Press.

Daniela Russi holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences/Ecological Economics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She is the senior policy manager of the British Ecological Society (BES), where she leads the Policy Team, acting as an interface between ecology and policy to ensure that policy is informed by science. Before joining the BES she was working at the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) as a senior policy analyst, leading or contributing to a wide range of projects related to environmental policies and biodiversity protection. She published peer-reviewed papers in international journals and contributed to numerous reports, books and conference proceedings.

Anita Tullrot works as a marine conservation manager for the marine National Park Kosterhavet at the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland, Sweden. She became employed in connection with the formation of the National Park, in August 2009. Before that she worked at Gothenburg University for several years with coordination of major research projects and with the marine documentation and management plan for the first marine national park in Sweden, Kosterhavet.
In 1998, she defended her dissertation in Zoology on research on evolution of warning coloration in a sea slug. Thereafter, she came to the Swedish National Board of Fisheries as investigator and project manager, dealing among other things with the Swedish environmental goals for the fishery sector. She was also secretary of the Coastal Fisheries Inquiry and a representative of the Nordic Council’s working group on environmental fisheries issues.
Dr Tullrot was one of the secretaries of the State Marine Environment Commission (SOU 2003: 72), with a special responsibility for the fishery working group. Other experiences over the years include teaching of primary school students and university students as well as professional fishermen. She has been involved in the training of more than 80 professional fishermen in marine ecology. She has also participated in the co-management initiative for Norra Bohuslän, concerning the Natura 2000 site Kosterfjorden-Väderöfjorden, with local fishermen, researchers, officials and politicians for 15 years.

Dr Monica Verbeek is the executive director of Seas At Risk, the Brussels-based umbrella organisation of environmental NGOs from across Europe that promotes ambitious policies for marine protection at European and international level. Seas At Risk has over 30 member organisations spanning 17 countries, representing millions of citizens that care deeply about our seas and ocean. Dr Verbeek also serves as steering group member for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, and was founding and steering group member of Ocean2012 and vice president of the South Western Waters Advisory Council for fisheries. Before joining Seas At Risk, she worked as a biodiversity campaign coordinator for Greenpeace Netherlands, and as an independent marine environmental consultant and a researcher. During her extensive experience with marine environmental campaigns, stretching back to the early 1990s, Monica Verbeek was successful in pushing for marine environmental protection policy decisions at national, European, regional (North East Atlantic) and UN level. She holds a MSc degree in biology (received with honours) and a PhD degree in behavioural ecology from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

 Education 

• Nijenrode Business School BBA (1978)
  
• Rotterdam School of Management MBA (1981) 

Professional career 

• Mr. Pim Visser started out his career in the IT Consultancy from 1981 to 1982.
  
• 1982- 2002: Mr. Visser worked at Projects and Sales in Shipbuilding for the Dutch and International Fishing Industry.
  
• Since 2002, Pim Visser has been manager of Manager Fish Auctions Northern Holland. In that capacity he was president of EAFPA (European Ports and Auctions 2004-2010).
  
• Nowadays, Mr. Visser combines the (now part-time) management of the fish auctions with several positions:
   – Chief Executive VisNed, association of Dutch Producer Organisations (2010-present);
   – Member North Sea AC Ex Com (2004-present);
   – President of EAPO (European Fish Producer Organisations 2014-present). 

Virginijus Sinkevičius is the present Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, at the European Commission. Mr Sinkevičius was from 2017 to 2019 Minister of Economy, and before he was leading the Committee of Economy at the Parliament of Lithuania. Mr. Sinkevičius was elected to the Parliament in October 2016. Prior, he was a Team Lead for Regulatory Affairs at Invest Lithuania. Mr. Sinkevičius holds BA in International Relations and Affairs from Aberystwyth University and Master‘s degree in European International Affairs from Maastricht University.

Jacki Davis is a leading commentator and analyst on European Union affairs. She is an experienced journalist, speaker and moderator of high-level events; a regular broadcaster on television and radio news; and a Senior Adviser to the Brussels-based think tank, the European Policy Centre. She has been based in Brussels for nearly 30 years, and was previously the EPC’s Communications Director; editor-in-chief of E!Sharp, a magazine on EU affairs; launch editor of European Voice, a Brussels-based newspaper on EU affairs owned by The Economist Group, from 1995-2000 (now Politico); and Brussels correspondent of a British national newspaper.