Mapping Ocean Wealth and Marine Spatial Planning

Mark Spalding is the Lead Scientist in the Mapping Ocean Wealth project. A TNC employee for over a decade, Mark has worked on many global syntheses and analyses describing the distribution and condition of marine and coastal resources, and looking at conservation efforts, notably with the use of marine protected areas. He is based out of the University of Cambridge in the UK where he works with colleagues and post-docs and where his work is now entirely focused on understanding, modelling and mapping ecosystem services in marine and coastal settings.

Kate Longley-Wood is the Ocean Mapping Coordinator in The Nature Conservancy’s Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters global team. She is the project manager for the consulting team under CROP component 2.1 which improves coverage of and access to ecosystem service data to CROP countries using TNC’s Mapping Ocean Wealth methodologies. She manages TNC’s Mapping Ocean Wealth data and web tools for projects at both global and local scales and is a contributor and tool development coordinator to the Global Mangrove Watch platform. She also provides technical and logistical support for marine spatial planning efforts in a variety of locations through TNC’s Blue Bonds program. Previously, she worked as a project manager at SeaPlan, an ocean planning non-profit, supporting ocean planning efforts in the U.S. through spatial data development and stakeholder engagement projects. She received an M.Sc. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a B.A. in Biology from Wesleyan University.

Valerie Pietsch McNulty is Spatial Ecologist for the Caribbean at The Nature Conservancy (TNC). She has a master’s in Climate and Society from Columbia University, a B.S. in Environmental Engineering with a minor in the Science of Earth Systems from Cornell University, and is an AAUS Certified Scientific Diver. Val has worked at TNC for 4 years, providing GIS and remote sensing support to projects in marine conservation and climate adaptation in the Caribbean, migratory species conservation in the Gulf of Mexico, and urban heat island mitigation in New York City. She has previously worked at the NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. She is currently working on projects in ecosystem-based adaptation, ecosystem services modelling, blue carbon storage, coral restoration, and marine spatial planning in the Caribbean.

Lauretta is a Senior Associate within the Sustainable Ocean Initiative at World Resources Institute (WRI), where she leads WRI’s efforts on coral reefs. Lauretta focuses on spatial analysis of local and global threats to coral reefs, economic valuation of the goods and services that coastal ecosystems provide to people and improving access to data for decision making relevant to coral reefs. Lauretta led the Reefs at Risk project series - a broad collaboration to model local and climate-related threats to the world’s coral reefs. Lauretta also works on climate resilience – helping coastal areas prepare for future climate. Her work on economic valuation includes national and regional valuations of the tourism, fisheries and shoreline protection services provided by coral reefs and mangroves in the Caribbean.

Dr. Martha Cecilia Prada Triana is a Colombian marine biologist with a Doctorate in Biological Oceanography from the Puerto Rico University. With over 25 years of professional experience, she has conducted research and provided management advice in marine ecology, fisheries management, and conservation policies and planning, usually involving coral reefs ecosystem and associated resources. For instance, by participating field surveys to study natural populations, conducting in stock assessment for spiny lobster and queen conch, studying mangrove ecosystem and other coastal in coastal habitats. She uses GIS applications and mapping tools to incorporate the spatial and temporal dimensions to the ecological aspects and further use in marine spatial planning. In addition to Colombia, she has worked in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, and Panama among other countries. Currently, she is part of CLME+ Coordination Unit, and acts as a technical liaison for WECAFC/CRFM/OSPESCA/CRFM/CITES Queen conch and WECAFC/CRFM/ OSPESCA/CRFM Fish Spawning Aggregation Working Groups.

Dr Alastair Harborne is an Assistant Professor at Florida International University. He is originally from the UK and completed his PhD within the Marine Spatial Ecology Lab at the University of Exeter, and subsequently became a NERC Independent Research Fellow. He then moved to the University of Queensland, Australia and was an ARC DECRA Research Fellow. Alastair moved to Florida International University in 2016 and started the Tropical Fish Ecology Lab ( https://www.tropicalfishecologylab.com/ ).

Alastair is a coral-reef fish ecologist with a particular interest in the effects of environmental change on reef fish assemblages, and how this information can be used to improve management. Lab members work on topics including the effects of reef flattening, predator-prey interactions, fish foraging across habitats, invasive species, and the impacts of community-based marine protected areas.

Ms Susanna De Beauville-Scott is a certified project manager with over 20 years of experience in managing national and regional projects. She also possesses 25 years of experience working in the field of ocean governance, fisheries, and marine resource management. Ms Scott currently works with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) where she serves as the Project Manager for projects under the OECS Ocean Governance and Fisheries Programme, including the Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project (CROP).

Ms Sarah Mahadeo is an Independent Consultant working in the area of Urban and Regional Planning and Marine Spatial Planning. Ms Mahadeo has more than 7 years of experience working in spatial planning in the SIDS context. She has worked with central government in Trinidad and Tobago in the Ministry of Planning and Development from 2011 to 2020; and more recently, worked in the area of marine spatial planning under projects with the IOC UNESCO. Moreover, Ms Mahadeo has been involved in raising awareness on marine planning and the Blue Economy in Trinidad and Tobago and is the editor of a series of marine spatial planning policy briefs produced by MSPglobal in March 2021.

Ms Sarah Mahadeo is an Independent Consultant working in the area of Urban and Regional Planning and Marine Spatial Planning. Ms Mahadeo has more than 7 years of experience working in spatial planning in the SIDS context. She has worked with central government in Trinidad and Tobago in the Ministry of Planning and Development from 2011 to 2020; and more recently, worked in the area of marine spatial planning under projects with the IOC UNESCO. Moreover, Ms Mahadeo has been involved in raising awareness on marine planning and the Blue Economy in Trinidad and Tobago and is the editor of a series of marine spatial planning policy briefs produced by MSPglobal in March 2021.

Dr. Joanna Smith is the Director Ocean Planning and Mapping with The Nature Conservancy (Nature United, Canada). Dr. Smith leads a team for marine spatial planning (MSP), marine protected areas (MPA), ocean science, ecosystem services, and social science. Joanna is the TNC global lead for MSP, MSP Process and Science Lead for the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative and global conservation and MSP lead for TNC’s Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation project. Dr. Smith’s research background spans 15 years in seabird ecology, commercial fisheries, introduced species and endangered species, with additional experience in education, project management and small business. She transitioned to planning in 2008 and works with colleagues and partners in government, marine sectors, communities, science, and civil society to design and develop Marine Spatial Plans. Dr. Smith has advised or worked with more than 10 nations on MSP in North America, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Oceania. She received a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Washington, USA and M.Sc. from University of Victoria, Canada. She is a member of the IOC-UNESCO MSPglobal expert group.

At present, he is the Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), a department in the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Government of Barbados. He possesses a Ph.D. in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from Cardiff University U.K. with specialization in low cost vulnerability assessment for Small Island Developing States. He has extensive experience in climate change adaptation initiatives.
Having worked in the field of small island integrated coastal zone management for over 30 years he is very familiar with the development of management strategies and strategic planning for his organization in the roll out of its Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan. His training and professional experience has provided him with opportunities to evaluate various forms of development and assess the considerations necessary to ensure effective planning and continuity in his department. He has been integrally involved in the development of the integrated coastal zone management policy for Barbados and seeing to its systematic implementation. He has represented Barbados at international conventions in the areas of coastal management and climate change. His agency is currently the lead agency for implementation of the Marine Spatial Plan for Barbados – being implemented in association with The Nature Conservancy.