The Interdisciplinary Marine Early Career Network (IMECaN) is delighted to announce the appointment of four new members to its organising committee: Frédérique Fardin, Liliana Sierra Castillo, Denis Otieno, and Yixue Zhang.
We are also grateful to departing members Ignacio Gianelli, Sara Garcia‑Morales Hurtado, and Shenghui Li for their valuable contributions to IMECaN’s development and activities.
Additionally, we are pleased to share a leadership update: Bia Dias is currently serving as Co‑Chair alongside Co‑Chair Juliano Palacios Abrantes for the time being.
Introducing the New Organising Committee Members
- Frédérique Fardin
Frédérique Fardin is a Postdoctoral Resilience Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama), in affiliation with the Nippon Foundation–Ocean Nexus Program. Her research focuses on coastal and marine governance in the Caribbean, with particular emphasis on equity, resilience, and small-scale fisheries. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Cambridge (in affiliation with UNEP-WCMC). Prior to her doctoral research, she worked with regional Caribbean organizations on marine conservation and climate change adaptation, informing her interdisciplinary approach to marine social-ecological systems. She is the founder of Roots of the Sea, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mangrove restoration and environmental education in Martinique, and a National Geographic Explorer. - Liliana Sierra Castillo
Liliana Sierra Castillo is an interdisciplinary marine scientist with over a decade of experience partnering with coastal communities and small-scale fisheries across Latin America and the Caribbean. Her work operates at the intersection of science, policy, and community engagement, advancing actionable and equitable solutions to the complex social-ecological challenges facing coastal regions.
Her research spans the full cycle of policy-based decision-making, from collecting and interpreting empirical data to applying rigorous quantitative and qualitative analyses, and ultimately co-developing management strategies that are both effective and just. Grounded in mixed-methods research, multivariate statistics, ethnography, fisheries science, critical environmental justice and feminist policitcal ecology, her work centers community histories, knowledge systems, and lived experiences. She facilitates participatory processes that empower local stakeholders to shape governance pathways and articulate their own visions for resilience. Currently, her research examines migration and mobility dynamics in small-scale fishing communities in Puerto Rico and Honduras, uncovering systemic drivers of displacement while amplifying community-led strategies for adaptation and justice.
Her previous projects include modeling and analysis for small-scale fisheries, designing tailored management strategies for small-scale fisheries in Honduras, and investigating the synergies and tensions between aquaculture and capture fisheries in Honduras and Mexico. Across these efforts, she applies a justice lens to critically evaluate Blue Economy policies and their implications for equity, sustainability, and community well-being. - Denis Otieno
Dennis Otieno is a marine scientist and fisheries oceanographer with 7+ years of experience advancing sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, and the blue economy across coastal Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean. His work bridges ecosystem-based science, community engagement, and enterprise development, linking mangrove–seagrass–coral reef connectivity to resilient livelihoods and fisheries governance. He combines technical expertise in data analysis, GIS, and observational oceanography with a commitment to gender equity and inclusive development. His research focuses on fisheries oceanography, ocean governance, and policy-relevant ocean science across coastal and open ocean systems. An NF-POGO Centre of Excellence Scholar (2024–25), he serves as assistant editor of Kenya Aquatica and is affiliated with ECOP-Kenya and WIOMSA. - Yixue Zhang
Yixue is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC), East China Normal University. She earned her PhD in Marine Chemistry from SKLEC in 2023, following a Bachelor of Science (with honors) from the Ocean University of China. Her research is centered on marine biogeochemical cycles, with a specific focus on the complex interactions between chemical components and microbial processes in the open ocean. She is dedicated to unraveling the mechanisms governing the sequestration and transformation of organic matter, contributing to a deeper understanding of the ocean’s role in global carbon and nitrogen budgets. Yixue currently serves as an Early Career Scientist of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) Working Group 161 and is the Principal Investigator for a project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Built upon extensive field experience in the East Indian Ocean and South China Sea, her work has been featured in various peer-reviewed journals in earth and marine sciences.
These additions further strengthen IMECaN’s interdisciplinary expertise and global representation as the network continues to support early‑career researchers connecting across marine science, policy, and practice.
Thank You to Past Members
We extend heartfelt thanks to:
- Ignacio Gianelli
- Sara Garcia‑Morales Hurtado
- Shenghui Li
for their dedication and service to IMECaN. Their efforts have helped shape the network and expand opportunities for early career engagement.