Ocean Decade Gender Expert Working Group

CarolAnne Black is a science writer and consultant specializing in ocean storytelling and gender equity. As founder of CAB Consulting Science Writers, she helps organizations craft narratives that highlight the contributions of women and underrepresented groups in marine science and policy. Her collaborations with Canadian and international organizations help to empower women and girls and other marginalized groups in ocean science and governance. She has supported the Ocean Decade through her work with UNESCO-IOC to create a best practices manual for Ocean Decade National Decade Committees.

Maria Chavez

Camille Comtat is a conservation partnerships specialist and Manager for Biodiversity & Habitats at the Minderoo Foundation, where she develops funding strategies to advance the UN Treaty on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). She works closely with partners to accelerate high-seas policy efforts and support the designation of high-seas protected areas.

Camille’s work focuses on embedding intersectional gender equity into the governance and implementation of conservation frameworks. She also leads Minderoo’s work to strengthen MPA management through systems thinking and gender-responsive approaches, and most recently co-authored the Gender Action Plan for Ocean Conservation Areas in the Western Indian Ocean with global partners and regional experts.

With a background in conservation partnerships, climate campaigns, and human rights, she is a committed advocate for embedding gender justice and rights-based principles across global marine and climate policy.

Dr. Silvia Donoso López is an anthropologist with a master’s degree in Gender and Public Policies for Equality. She has extensive experience in gender-related issues, including nearly 10 years of fieldwork in the Global South with international organizations, including UN Women. Her experience includes multiple consultancies focusing on women’s economic empowerment, gender equality in economic decision-making, and ensuring equitable access to and control over productive resources, including those linked to sustainable practices, as well as on gender violence and women rights. She has also advised public institutions on designing strategies and plans to guarantee gender equality in the implementation of public policies.

Currently, she works as a gender expert and researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), where her work focuses on developing strategies to ensure gender equality within the institute, as well as integrating the gender dimension into research content as a means to achieve gender-sensitive social impact.

Suzan Elgharabawy

Martin Uchenna Emenyonu is a leading expert in the blue economy, coastal resilience, and maritime security in Africa. He is the Founder/Executive Director of the Centre for Blue Economy Research and Development Nigeria Ltd/Gte, where he leads cutting-edge research and policy initiatives to advance sustainable ocean governance and economic growth. As the founder and project contact person of the UNESCO-IOC-endorsed African Youths Sustainable Ocean Campaign, Martin is committed to raising youth’s awareness and literacy on the ocean-climate nexus, marine conservation, and sustainable livelihoods. This initiative, recognized under the Ocean Decade, fosters youth engagement in ocean stewardship and blue economy opportunities.

He has provided expert technical assistance in drafting Nigeria’s National Blue Economy Strategy and developing a Blue Governance Coordination Mechanism, ensuring policy coherence, environmental sustainability, and economic inclusion. Martin actively collaborates with regional and international stakeholders to position Africa as a leader in sustainable ocean governance.

Dr. Daniel Etongo is an Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Seychelles. His research addresses issues of vulnerability assessment, disaster risk reduction, land and tree-based interventions within the framework of nature-based solutions. Daniel is a member of the Seychelles National Climate Change Committee and National Technical Working Group on Education for Sustainable Development. He has been serving as the National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point for Seychelles since 2023 during which he has worked closely with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for Eastern and Southern Africa and the UN Women on gender and climate change issues. One of his key roles under the UNDP Climate Promise Initiative was to integrate gender into Seychelles Updated Nationally Determined Contribution of 2021.

Martina Gaglioti is a marine biologist and ecologist with underwater work experience in marine environments. Diver since 9, she trained hundreds of divers during her multidecadal experience. She has coordinated many citizen science initiatives both in freshwater and marine ecosystems, including two Blue School Projects in Italy. She’s the leading scientist of the transboundary action “TRASH TALK IN ACTION” and co-founder of the Ng’arisha Ocean Club in Kenya. She launched “MPA MUSKETEERS IN ACTION” in Philippines to reconciliate blue tourism and coastal communities’ livelihood.  Martina is the Leader of the TF3 of the SER MRWG, re-appointed SER LERS Advisory Board Member, IUCN CEC and CCC Member and she’s is a reviewer and Science Mentor of the Frontiers for Young Minds journal. Martina’s daily work is aimed at an ocean-literate society where women are truly empowered and where policy trusts on equally acted and reliable science. She takes care of weaker people, marginalized communities and women rights.

Jennifer Gee

Anwesha Ghosh

Adriana Lippi is an oceanographer with a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinarity in Ocean Science and Technology. Her research focuses on women in ocean science in Brazil. She is the co-founder of the Women’s League for the Ocean, a movement connecting more than 2,000 women that work with the ocean: athletes, journalists, researchers, educators, and many more, all interested in ocean conservation. She is also a science communicator specialized in ocean issues, women in STEM, and the climate crisis. She has experience in data analysis and web design.

Emily Nocito (she/her) is a marine ethnoecologist who has her PhD from University of Colorado – Boulder. Her dissertation concentrated on high seas marine protected areas, the BBNJ Agreement, and governance in the Southern Ocean. She was a recipient of the 2024 Knauss Fellowship, where she was placed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. During her fellowship, her portfolio focused on the Ocean Decade. Additionally, she is a current member – and the former co-coordinator of – the USA Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Node. In addition to marine conservation, she has a background in science communication and science education and has held numerous leadership positions related to diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Renis Auma Ojwala is a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the World Maritime University (WMU), where she focuses on crew sustainability in the maritime industry. With a strong professional background, she is passionate about promoting sustainable, gender-inclusive practices within ocean and maritime workforces. Renis contributed significantly to the “Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” project (2019-2023) at WMU, demonstrating her dedication to equity in ocean science. She holds a PhD in Maritime Affairs from WMU, a Master’s in Limnology and Wetland Management (joint MSc. programme) from BOKU University (Austria), Egerton University (Kenya), and UNESCO-IHE Delft (The Netherlands), and a Bachelor’s in Applied Aquatic Science from Egerton University. As a dedicated interdisciplinary scientist, Renis is committed to advancing gender equality in ocean science and maritime industry, with a particular focus on Kenya and Africa, and continues to make valuable contributions to the field.

Shereen Sharma is an international expert in hydrography, geospatial sciences, and ocean governance, with over two decades of experience advancing the sustainable management of marine resources. She is the Founder and Director of Survey & Spatial Consultants in Australia and Fiji, providing strategic advisory and technical services to governments, regional organisations, and international initiatives. Shereen has led projects with the Australian Hydrographic Office, Fugro, and Chevron, and served as Chief Scientist for the Tonga Eruption Seabed Mapping Project. As Head of Engagement and Development for the Seabed 2030 Project and a UN Pool of Experts member, she combines technical excellence with strategic insight, delivering innovative solutions that reduce risk, inform decision-making, and support sustainable ocean governance.

Being from Fiji, Shereen brings the perspective of Small Island Developing States, and actively advocates for inclusive and equitable approaches to ocean governance, with a focus on advancing gender equality in ocean science and technology to ensure that opportunities to participate in — and benefit from — sustainable ocean development are accessible to all.

Dr. Derya Itir Vennin is an Associate Project Officer at UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), where she coordinates the implementation of the DG ECHO CoastWAVE project, an Ocean Decade Action under Challenge 6, advancing tsunami resilience and early warning systems across multiple countries. With a background in ocean engineering and coastal risk management, she has extensive experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives, securing international funding, and promoting equitable access to capacity-building opportunities, particularly for underrepresented communities. Derya has also contributed to gender-inclusive disaster risk reduction efforts through strategic engagement with governmental, scientific, and research institutions. Prior to joining UNESCO, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher on climate-driven flood risks and tsunami hazard assessment, and she has held various roles in geospatial analysis, project management, and civil engineering. Passionate about inclusive ocean science, she advocates for gender balance and diversity in the field, ensuring that ocean governance and risk mitigation strategies are accessible to all.