Invited Speakers
Dates and venue for ICMB XII in 2025 have been announced!
Information on this page refers to the conference held in 2023. Check back soon for updates.
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.
Photo by Leah Wood
Prof. Katie Dafforn
Macquarie University
Topic:
Eco-engineering strategies for marine infrastructure to enhance biosecurity
Bio:
Katie Dafforn is an environmental scientist recognised for her contributions to understanding urban impacts in marine systems. She joined Macquarie University (New South Wales, Australia) in 2018 and is the co-founder of the Living Seawalls project. Through this work she has been engaged in the ecological design of marine foreshores and her experimental work has contributed to several urban renewal projects. The findings have provided practical and policy tools for building foreshore infrastructure to reduce biosecurity risk. → View in program
Nicola S. Smith, PhD
Concordia University
Topic:
Patterns and perspectives to marine invasions in the Caribbean
Bio:
Dr. Nicola S. Smith is a Liber Ero Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia (Canada), and recently accepted a position as an Assistant Professor at Concordia University (Quebec, Canada). Originally from the Bahamas, she has over a decade of experience researching bioinvasions, coral reef ecology, and tropical fisheries. Her past work focused primarily on the Indo-Pacific lionfish invasion of the Caribbean and on unreported fisheries catches in the Global South. Her current research focuses on the interactions between climate change and marine invasive species, and its implications for ocean sustainability. She serves as an Associate Editor for NeoBiota, a peer-reviewed, open access, online journal on biological invasions. → View in program
Photo by Jacqueline Robinson
Julie Lockwood
Institute of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Rutgers University
Topic:
More in common than differences: Uniting terrestrial and marine invasion science
Bio:
Professor Julie Lockwood is currently Interim Director of the Institute of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, and Professor of Ecology at Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA). A native of Atlanta, Georgia (USA), her research centers on the prevention and management of invasive species, the socio-ecological dynamics of the wildlife trade, and the impacts of climate change and clean energy production on biodiversity. She is a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. → View in program
April Flanders
Appalachian State University
Topic:
Printmaking and invasion science: A model for future collaborations
Bio:
April Flanders, Professor of Studio Art at Appalachian State University (North Carolina, USA) is a studio artist living and making in the mountains of Western North Carolina. A keen naturalist, her work has been featured in solo and group shows at museums and galleries nationally and internationally, including the Atlantic Gallery (New York, USA), the Global Print International (Douro, Portugal), and the Anna Leonowens Gallery (Nova Scotia, Canada). Her work addresses the problem of invasive plants and animals on a global scale using a variety of media including printmaking, painting, drawing and installation. April earned a Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University and has taught printmaking for fourteen years at various universities nationally and internationally. → View in program
Photo by Antoine Dispas
Dr. Kimberly Howland
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Topic:
The polar marine realm: invasions in a warming climate
Bio:
Kimberly Howland is a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba and an adjunct professor with the Universities of Alberta, Manitoba, Laval and Québec (Canada). She has conducted aquatic ecology research in the Arctic for over 25 years and was the Arctic node lead for the NSERC Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Network from 2010-2016. She represented Canada on the steering committee for the implementation of the Arctic Council Arctic Invasive Alien Species Strategy and the ICES expert working groups on Introductions and Transfers of Marine Species and Ballast Water and Other Shipping Vectors. Her research focuses on improving baseline Arctic coastal biodiversity information, risk assessments of shipping pathways and species, predictive modeling of habitat suitability for high-risk species, and incorporating early detection tools in community-based monitoring. → View in program
Prof. Stelios Katsanevakis
University of the Aegean
Topic:
Methods for non-native species detection and impact assessment
Bio:
Stelios Katsanevakis is a professor of marine ecology in the Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean (Greece) with extensive field experience in the Mediterranean Sea. His research focuses on marine conservation and the impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity and ecosystem services. He has worked on developing the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) and was the Chair of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, "MarCons: Advancing marine conservation in the European and contiguous seas". → View in program
