OUR TEAM
Meet our international team from the UK, Ghana, Mexico and Jamaica.
UK
University of Southampton
Dr. Vicky Dominguez Almela
​Vicky is an ecologist with special interest in aquatic ecosystems and the use of novel applications of Geographic Information Systems and models to predict ecological outcomes. She is the lead of the SSCN, aiming to better understand and manage seaweed influxes, foster community engagement, and develop innovative solutions for the challenges posed by invasive species.​
University of Southampton
Prof. Emma Tompkins
​Emma research focuses on the human dimensions of global environmental change. She was the lead of the SARTRAC project, which aimed to understand the biology and movement of sargassum seaweed, and its potential uses to create opportunities for the most vulnerable affected communities.
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University of Southampton
Dr. Sien Van Der Plank
​Sien is an interdisciplinary researcher interested in the adaptation process of individuals to coastal change. She has vast experience developing citizen science approaches for young people to be more involved in coastal adaptation in the UK and Ghana.
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University of Southampton
Prof. Jadu Dash
​Jadu specialises in remote sensing, particularly using algorithms to derive information about the state and condition of the ecosystem and study the impact of climate and anthropogenic changes.
GHANA
University of Ghana
Prof. Kwasi Appeaning Addo
Kwasi is a researcher with vast knowledge in Sea Level Rise Dynamics and Impacts, Coastal Erosion, Climate Change Impacts in Coastal Zones.​
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University of Ghana
Dr. Winnie Sowah
​Winnie's interests include sargassum impacts and management; applying genetic principles and methods in Aquaculture development and management, population genetics and fisheries management.
University of Ghana
Dr. Philip Jayson-Quashigah
Philip uses different tools such as Remote Sensing, GIS, Open-Source Software, and Drones to study coastal changes in the coast of Ghana.
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MEXICO
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Prof. Christian Appendini
​Christian is an oceanographer studying extreme events and climate change, as well as ocean circulation related to the dispersion of oil spills and sargassum. His main goal is to find solutions for problems through innovative approaches and different perspectives.
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Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Jose Antonio Lopez Portillo
​PhD Student working in the development of image capture systems and computer algorithms for automatic study of coastal processes. His work is focused on sargassum analysis in the Mexican Caribbean, to obtain path and area measurements from static near coast images. Jose is also involved in generating and analyzing citizen science images for sargassum.
Universidad de Quintana Roo
Dr Óscar Frausto Martínez
Professor-researcher of the Sustainable Development Division and research secretary of the University of Quintana Roo. His lines of research focus on the design, use and development of indicators for risk management and sustainability indicators applied to various territorial contexts.
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Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Dr María Eugenia Allende Arandia
Maru is a physical oceanographer who studies the processes that affect atmospheric and oceanic dynamics, which impact and/or modify the coastal zone, from a fundamental and applied point of view for the solution of problems in the coastal zone. Her main lines of research are climate change, climatic variability of the ocean and the atmosphere and the atmosphere-ocean-coastal zone interaction through the coupling of numerical models.
JAMAICA
University of West Indies
Chauntelle Green
Chauntelle Green is an Outreach and Scientific Officer at Port Royal Marine Lab from Kingston, Jamaica. Her occupation is to introduce to the general public the importance of the marine environment, through tours at the lab and assisted several deliverables in teaching and outreach. As scuba diving and photography is her hobby, she educates the public by showing photos that most people would not be able to see.
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University of West Indies
Prof. Mona Webber
Professor Mona Webber is a Marine Biologist and Ecologist whose primary research area is in Tropical Marine Zooplankton. Her current research involves assessing the carbon in mangrove forests, assessing the effect of microplastics on the marine environment and exploring the benefits to be derived by developing countries in the Caribbean and Western Africa from sargassum.
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University of West Indies
Prof. Dale Webber
Prof. Webber is a Coastal Ecologist with over 15 years' experience in the environmental field. Prof. Webber’s research areas include coastal water quality, circulation and ecology towards wise use and best management. Much of his research has been pivotal to the policy and decisions of the Jamaican government through the Natural Resource Conservation Authority where he also serves as Chairman of the National Ramsar Committee on Jamaica’s wetland management.