Africa well represented amongst ocean leaders

A number of African leaders chosen for leadership programme

AFRICA: A number of African representatives have been selected to join an international cohort of leaders on this year’s Edinburgh Ocean Leaders Programme.

Launched in 2020, the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders Programme is designed specifically for early mid-career professionals working on the oceans. The programme combines leadership, mentoring and networking support with international field-based experiences.

Through a global nomination process, each year up to 10 ocean professionals are selected by the International Advisory Panel. The Ocean Leaders are selected from diverse backgrounds and professional experiences – spanning industry, conservation, policy, advocacy, education, media and outreach. The programme is free for the Ocean Leaders.

This year three of the eight leaders emanate from Africa:

Barkha Mossaë: Former Diplomat for Republic of Mauritius, currently Blue Economy Advisor to the African Union Commission

According to her biography on the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders website, she is currently the Blue Economy Advisor to the African Union Commission, helping to establish a continental blue economy programme following the process of institutional reform of the African Union. Her ambition
is to unlock Africa’s blue growth through effective ocean governance and nature-positive blue economy strategies that emphasise women, youth and innovation, including technologies of the 4IR for oceans.

Mossaë has also served as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius, where her focus was on promoting environmental diplomacy with a focus on SIDS priorities, ocean economy and maritime security, while advocating for innovation and entrepreneurship within the public sector which she believes to be an important pillar for advancing sustainability.

An avid scuba diver, she is passionate about strengthening Africa’s ownership over its oceans and seas and making oceans accessible to local communities. She also co-founded #SeeingBlue, which is aimed at empowering young islanders, especially youth from coastal areas, to champion their ocean resources and supporting them in developing solutions towards the most pressing challenges faced by our oceans and seas.

Willys Osore: MPA Manager at Kenya Wildlife Service, officer in charge of Kiunga Marine Biosphere Reserve

With over two decades of conservation experience in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean, Osore is a coastal ecosystem and marine protected area specialist and is currently the warden responsible for Kiunga Marine Biosphere Reserve with the Kenya Wildlife Service.

He also oversees Dodori National Reserve, Boni National Reserve and other local community-led initiatives in Lamu County, Kenya. He previously had roles in Malindi Marine National Park and Kenya Coastal regional conservation headquarters as a licensing officer responsible for wildlife utilisation permitting.

Last year, he was part of the team which developed Kenya’s first sea turtle protocol, a document to standardise sea turtle conservation in Kenya. He holds a degree in Management and Leadership (BML), diploma in Wildlife Management and a professional certification in integrated coastal management.

Osore is certified as a MPA Pro by Western Indian Ocean Certification of Marine Protected Professionals (WIOCOMPAS) and management strategic champion in the Smart Seas Africa Network. He is the current coordinator of the Kenyan chapter of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Network (WIOMPAN).

Alexis Grosskopf: Ocean entrepreneur; Founder and CEO of ocean-impact accelerator, OceanHub Africa

Grosskopf is the founder and CEO of OceanHub Africa, an ocean-impact accelerator focusing on strengthening the development and adoption of new sustainable ocean solutions in Africa based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Alongside OceanHub Africa, he co-founded the annual Ocean Innovation Africa summit to promote innovative technologies, policies and finance to further sustainable blue growth continentally.

Grosskopf holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London. Former management and sustainable development consultant, he has since been working in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation for 10 years, including five in Africa.

In addition to OHA, he holds leadership positions on several initiatives such as within the 1000 Ocean Startups coalition, the Great Blue Wall initiative, and the UN-endorsed program Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions.