ICMB

Our distinguished invited speakers will lead off morning and afternoon sessions of the conference with a rich array of perspectives from the leading edge of the field.

Dr John Darling

Centre for Environmental Genomics Applications and eDNAtec

Topic:

Two if by sea: Design elements for 21st-century marine biosecurity surveillance

Bio:

Dr John Darling is currently a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Environmental Genomics Applications and Senior Director of U.S. Operations for eDNAtec, Inc. He has been a long-standing advocate for the responsible adoption of eDNA and other genomic methods for biodiversity monitoring, including early detection and surveillance for introduced and invasive species. During over 20 years as a Research Biologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, he helped develop and apply DNA-based tools to inform EPA's Programmatic and Regional Offices across invasive species monitoring, aquatic bioassessment, and biodiversity protection. He served for 13 years as the EPA's representative to the federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force and co-authored the U.S. National Aquatic eDNA Strategy, helping shape a practical roadmap for the future of eDNA monitoring in the U.S. As a member of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea's working groups on biological invasions and ballast and other ship vectors, he leads a term of reference aimed at assessing the utility of genomic tools for mitigating risks of marine biological invasions, providing recommendations to member states in the EU and North America on adoption of these tools in decision-making, policy, and regulatory frameworks.

Dr Nicola van Wilgen-Bredenkamp

South African National Parks Cape Research Centre

Topic:

A framework for evaluating marine invasion threats under climate change

Bio:

Dr Nicola van Wilgen-Bredenkamp is a global change scientist at the South African National Parks Cape Research Centre, where she has worked for the past 16 years. Her research interests span ecology, conservation, ecosystem management and data analysis, with a focus on the intersecting challenges of climate change, invasive alien species, and effective conservation interventions. Through her role as a global change scientist, she seeks to provide evidence to guide policy and management within a rapidly changing global context. While most of her work is terrestrially based, she has a strong interest in the impacts of global change on marine systems, including the dynamics of marine invasions, as well as climate change impacts on seabirds.

Prof Susana Carvalho

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Topic:

From Blind Spots to Biosecurity: Surveillance and Preparedness at a Global Shipping Crossroads

Bio:

Prof Susana Carvalho is a Research Associate Professor of Marine Science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, where she leads research on marine biodiversity, ecosystem health, biosecurity, and environmental change. Her work integrates ecological surveys, molecular approaches, and environmental monitoring to understand biodiversity patterns and emerging pressures across the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. She has planned and implemented national-scale marine non-indigenous species surveillance programs with national stakeholders, combining settlement panels, biofouling surveys, molecular tools, and standardized monitoring approaches designed to support comparability across sites, regions, and time. A key focus of her work is establishing monitoring programs based on standardized and comparable approaches, enabling data integration across regions and supporting broader assessments of invasion patterns and pathways. Her research increasingly translates biodiversity observations into risk assessment, early-warning systems, and practical marine biosecurity frameworks. She is also involved in international biodiversity initiatives, including MarineGEO, and contributes to regional and global assessments of marine non-indigenous species.

Dr Evangelina Schwindt

Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC) and IBIOMAR-CONICET

Topic:

Between Ambition and Feasibility: What Can We Realistically Tell Decision Makers About Marine Invasions and KM-GBF Target 6?

Bio:

Dr Evangelina Schwindt is a Principal Researcher at the Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CONICET), Director of the Coastal Environments Ecology Group (GEAC), Editor-in-Chief of Biological Invasions, and Subject Editor of Ecography. Based on the Patagonian coast of Argentina, her work spans coastal ecosystems, including ports and marine protected areas, and takes both a broad spatial perspective, from local to global scales, and a historical one, tracing invasions back to the earliest human movements across oceans. Recognizing the importance of prevention and monitoring programs, and the need for greater collaboration to understand the dynamics of marine invasions and manage them, she works with national and regional governments, international organizations, and colleagues to inform evidence-based decision-making. Her collaborations include COMBINA (Coastal Ocean Marine Biosecurity International Network of the Americas); the FAO, on Argentina’s National Strategy for Invasive Exotic Species; the World Ocean Assessments, as a member of the pool of experts; IPBES, on the Assessment on Invasive Alien Species and their Control; and GESAMP, on the Working Group on Biofouling Management.

Mr Loyiso Dunga

Asili Blue Renaissance (ASILI); South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI); Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation: People and Ocean Lab

Topic:

Beget Caring Conservation: When Indigenous Knowledge invites Science to the table for Ocean Life and Livelihoods

Bio:

Mr Loyiso Dunga is a marine biologist specializing in kelp ecology. His work integrates marine science, Indigenous Knowledge and environmental policy to advance inclusive, evidence-based ocean conservation in South Africa. Originally from the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape, Dunga holds an MSc with distinction from the University of Cape Town. His research produced South Africa’s first comprehensive kelp forest ecosystem map, accompanied by an assessment of the threat status of these extensive and ecologically important underwater forests. He is the founder of Asili Blue Renaissance (ASILI), a non-profit organization developing an Indigenous-led roadmap for safeguarding South Africa’s shared ocean heritage. For five years, he led the technical work of The Seas of Good Hope, a legacy initiative that explored a bottom-up approach to securing UNESCO recognition and protection for South Africa’s marine cultural heritage, biodiversity and globally significant natural phenomena, including the Sardine Run. ASILI emerged from this work. Dunga’s work centres on reimagining conservation as an inclusive and caring practice, while strengthening the connections between science, Indigenous Knowledge, communities and policy. He is an Authority Coordinator within the IUCN Seaweed Specialist Group and a member of the South African Marine Ecosystems Committee. He is also a professional affiliate at Nelson Mandela University, a senior manager at the People and Ocean Lab within the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, and an Edinburgh Ocean Leader.