COMMUNITIES & ECOSYSTEMS UNDER PRESSURE: LIVELIHOODS AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY

AirCentre Webinar

This session explores the human and ecological impacts of mass strandings from two complementary perspectives: the lived experiences of coastal communities and the scientific evidence of how sargassum influxes are transforming marine ecosystems.

By bringing these perspectives together, the session aims to connect ground-level experience with the ecological data needed to understand the full scope of the crisis, setting the stage for the solutions-focused discussions later in the series

MODERATOR:

Julian Walcott, University of the West Indies
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). 

SPEAKERS:

Brigitta Ine van Tussenbroek, ICML-UNAM
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.

Edita Magileviciute, ECOCV
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.

Shehu Latunji Akintola, AIR Centre Nigeria
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.