About Us
The research team
The Marine Benefits project is carried out by Prof Elisa Morgera and Dr Daniela Diz from the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance, and Dr Meriwether Wilson from the University of Edinburgh, School of Geosciences. The Marine Benefits team is supported by an Advisory Board of global practitioners.
Prof Elisa Morgera
Prof Elisa Morgera (LLM, PhD) is the Principal Investigator of the Marine Benefits Project, holding the ESPA 2014 Blue Skies grant. She is also the Principal Investigator of the BeneLex project, holding the ERC Starting Grant. She is Professor of Global Environmental Law at the University of Strathclyde, Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance.
Dr Daniela Diz
Dr Daniela Diz (MMM, PhD) is the Marine Benefits Project Research Fellow and a member of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance. She has extensive academic and professional experience drawing on her inter-disciplinary background in marine science, ecosystem-based management, marine policy, international law. In her previous capacity as Senior Marine Policy Officer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), she led marine projects in Canada, as well as at regional and global levels, including scientific and policy research on ecosystem-based fisheries management, valuation of ecosystem services and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems and ecologically or biologically significant marine areas..jpg)
Dr Meriwether Wilson
Dr Meriwether Wilson (PhD) is a Co-Investigator of the Marine Benefits Project. She is a marine ecologist and is a Senior Lecturer in Marine Science and Policy at the University of Edinburgh's School of Geosciences. Her research focuses on the science-policy-society intersections of international transboundary marine and island ecosystems and services. This focus builds upon two decades of international experience (World Bank, UNESCO, UNDP, IUCN, NOAA) on establishing marine protected areas globally across diverse ecological scales, cultures and economies. Dr. Wilson is also Director of the MSc in Marine Systems and Policies at the University of Edinburgh; a Member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas; a Co-Lead on an EU Consortium Grant 'OPERAS' on "Operationalizing Ecosystem Services"; was a Contributing Author for the 2014 IPCC AR5 Working Group II Report, and is currently a Contributor Author for IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report. The Advisory Board
The Marine Benefits Advisory Board provides feedback and expert input into the project methodology and findings. Members of the Advisory Board will participate in the project workshops, consultations and will communicate with the project's team throughout the project's duration.
The Advisory Board includes the following experts acting in their individual capacity:
- Blaise Kuemlangan, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
- Alasdair Harris, Blue Ventures
- Andrew Kenny, UK Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
- Carole Martinez, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- David Johnson, Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI)
- Duncan Currie, Globe Law
- Ellen Kenchington, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Essam Yassin Mohammmed, International Institute for Environment and Development
- Esther Brooker, Scottish Environment Link
- James Harrison, University of Edinburgh
- Jessica Battle, WWF International
- Julien Rochette, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)
- J. Murray Roberts, Heriot Watt University
- Kristina Gjerde, IUCN
- Kristian Teleki, The Prince's Charities, International Sustainability Unit
- Laura Jeffery, University of Edinburgh
- Mariano Koen-Alonso, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Matt Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
- Michael Riddle, Bioclimate
- Neil Campbell, Marine Scotland
