The University of Liverpool (ULIV) is one of the UK’s top traditional, research led, universities. The University of Liverpool’s School of Environmental Sciences was established in 2009 to create a teaching and research centre which merged Liverpool’s environmental disciplines. The School is the largest environmental sciences institute in the north of England. Marine Biology and fisheries investigation have been a core part of the University’s portfolio since 1876. Current marine ecology programmes include investigations into the long-term changes of benthic and zooplankton communities, the effects of fishing on ecosystem functioning, the design of Marine Protected Area networks and ecosystem-based fisheries management. The School has strong links to other marine research institutes and is involved in several national and international projects to assess the effects of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic forcing factors on exploited species.

ULIV plays a major role in all aspects of the project relating to marine ecosystems, and a lead role in the development of a marine case study (Trade-offs in ecosystem-based fisheries management in the North Sea aimed at achieving Biodiversity Strategy targets) covering widely dispersed but ecologically important sea floor habitats. ULIV works with marine stakeholders to ensure the project meets stakeholder needs and that the outputs are communicated in an appropriate and timely manner to facilitate uptake by the user community.

Dr. Leonie Robinson

Dr. Leonie Robinson is a Lecturer in Marine Biology at the University of Liverpool, UK. Leonie holds an honours degree in Marine Biology and a PhD in Marine Ecology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her research background is in community ecology of marine ecosystems with particular reference to understanding the drivers, both natural and anthropogenic, of variability in temporal and spatial dynamics. Her work currently focuses on the application of ecological theory in underpinning management of marine resources (particularly: ecosystem-based management (EBM); ecosystem approaches to fisheries management; integrated assessment and ecological risk assessment). Leonie recently led the pan-European EU FP7 project “ODEMM”: Options for Delivering Ecosystem-Based Marine Management, which developed tools and understanding to help operationalise EBM across European regional seas. Alongside AQUACROSS, she is currently working with the European Environment Agency to develop policy-relevant ecosystem assessments based around the relationship of ecosystem state with supply of ecosystem services and natural capital. She is a member of the ICES Working Group on Ecosystem Effects of Fishing.

Dr. Fiona Culhane

Dr. Fiona Culhane is a Post Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Liverpool, UK. Fiona holds a degree in Zoology from Trinity College Dublin, an MSc in Aquatic Ecosystem Management and a PhD in Marine Benthic Ecology from Edinburgh Napier University. Her research background is in applied marine ecology, in particular the assessment of environmental health using benthic macroinvertebrates and the use of biotic indices. She has also previously worked on European Union projects including the FP6 project SPICOSA: Science and Policy Integration for Coastal System Assessment and the FP7 project ODEMM: Options for Delivering Ecosystem-Based Marine Management, which developed tools and understanding to help operationalise Ecosystem Based Management across European seas. She has most recently worked on a project with the European Environment Agency, developing a method to assess marine ecosystem services.

Hannah Jones

Hannah Jones is a Project Manager at the University of Liverpool, UK. Hannah has a BSc in Geology and an MSc in Environmental Science both from Imperial College, London. Her masters focused on environmental analysis and assessment and also investigated the public perception and risk assessment of the use of both onshore and offshore geological sequestration of CO₂ as a mitigation strategy for climate change. After completing her masters, she went on to work in the private sector and has been a fully qualified Prince2 Project Manager for over five years. Hannah most recently worked on the FP7 project VANESSA (Validation of Numerical Engineering Simulations: Standardisation Actions) which was coordinated by the university.