Conference Speakers

Jörn Schmidt (PhD)

Chair of the Science Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is also adjunct professor at the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University, Canada, and senior researcher at the Center for Ocean and Society at Kiel University, Germany. Jörn works on social-ecological systems, marine and fisheries ecology, inter- and transdisciplinary concepts and knowledge co-production. He is also a member of the Group of Experts and German Focal Point for the World Ocean Assessment and a member of the high-level stakeholder advisory board of the Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development project. The Blue Economy is a concept that emphasizes the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and environmental protection. Jörn’s presentation will give an overview on the Blue Economy in Europe, emphasizing the sustainable use of ocean resources, considering economic, social and ecological aspects. It highlights the diverse sectors of the Blue Economy in Europe, including traditional sectors such as shipping and fishing, as well as emerging industries like offshore and marine renewable energy and marine biotechnology.

Jörn Schmidt (PhD)

Henn Ojaveer (PhD)

Professor in marine ecosystems at Pärnu College, University of Tartu. He is also guest professor at National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, and Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). His main scientific interests are related to ecology of marine bioinvasions and temporal dynamics of intermediate and upper trophic levels of marine ecosystems in relation to natural and human stressors. The conference presentation of Henn Ojaveer deals with a small spring spawning herring population which inhabitsing the Gulf of Riga, which is assessed and managed as a separate stock. The study provides new evidence on the factors affecting individual growth of the 1-year-old fish, including both climatic and biotic variables. Availability of continuous long-term time-series (since 1960) allows investigating fish productivity during different ecosystem states and under different combinations of the drivers of change.

Henn Ojaveer (PhD)

Heli Einberg (PhD)

Research fellow in socioecology at Pärnu College, University of Tartu. Her scientific interests are related to long-term changes in the Baltic Sea.

Heli Einberg (PhD)

Pille Metspalu (PhD)

Leading planning expert in consultancy company Hendrikson&Ko and a guest lecturer in department of geography, University of Tartu. Pille’s long-term experience in spatial planning covers more than 100 comprehensive and designated plans on both national and local level. Pille was the leading planning expert for Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan (approved 2022). At the conference, Pille’s presentation will highlight some of the challenges met by Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan, reflecting also on the participatory planning process.

Pille Metspalu (PhD)

Sander Loite

Sander Loite is the host and author of the Estonian TV's nature and environment program "Ozone". He is interested in biology and ecology and how developments in these fields can be conveyed to society in order to increase people's awareness and involvement. During his education, Sander combined nature and media when he obtained Master's degrees in zoology and hydrobiology at the University of Tartu and science media production at Imperial College in London.

Sander Loite

Kaupo Läänerand

Kaupo Läänerand is Deputy Secretary General for Maritime Economy in the Ministry of Climate in Estonia. Mr Läänerand is maritime expert with long managerial experience in international shipping and the public sector. After having working abroad in merchant fleet and offshore sector, he became Head of the Fleet in Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia, where he initiated reforms resulting in greater efficiency, more joint operations and increased cooperation at various levels. As Deputy Secretary General , he is actively finding solutions to improve Estonia as maritime nation. This includes creating competitive and sustainable maritime policy, consolidating government owned fleet, increasing the Estonian flag competitiveness and implementing green policy in maritime sectors.

Kaupo Läänerand

Jonne Kotta

Jonne Kotta is part of many world-leading research communities with particular strengths in his disciplines, e.g. seaweed and benthic invertebrate ecology, species interactions, spatial modelling, alien species, linking ecosystem functioning to services, bioeconomy and climate change. He has linked theoretical science through different modelling techniques to different management practices. He is developing regional web-based spatial decision support tools that are currently being used to accelerate the development of the blue bioeconomy (e.g. algae, mussel farming and multipurpose solutions), support mitigation processes (e.g. assessing cumulative impacts of management scenarios, quantifying habitat restoration potential) and improve the quality of marine management and maritime spatial planning decisions. This knowledge is needed for current management plans, but is likely to produce clearer visions and strategies for the future.

Jonne Kotta

Antti Roose (PhD)

Antti Roose (PhD on geoinformatics) is a visiting professor on resource management at Pärnu College, University of Tartu. His research interests focus on climate policy and resilience, carbon accounting and energy appraisal, spatial planning and urban growth. He is involved and acted as team leader in numerous EU and territorial cooperation projects relating to climate, energy and spatial planning.

Antti Roose (PhD)

Ain Soome

Ain Soome, head of Fisheries Economics Department, Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture and also authorized person of the Estonian managing authority of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. Have been working in the Estonian fisheries administration since 1998. Education: higher education in fisheries and master of Arts in Social Sciences in the field of Government and Administration.

Ain Soome

Dr. Nerijus Nika

Dr. Nerijus Nika is researcher, the Head of Fishery and Aquaculture Laboratory of Marine Research Institute, Klaipėda University/ Lithuania. Dr. Nerijus Nika is an expert in fish biology, fishery management and conservation. His recent involvement is mostly related to aquaculture and blue bioeconomy sector development. Expert has an experience in national and international research projects, related to aquatic ecology, fish biology and aquaculture, stock assessment, fishery management and blue biotechnology application (11 projects). The expertise and the field of interests include marine recirculating aquaculture technology, animal biology and physiology research and application in aquaculture technology optimisation.

Dr. Nerijus Nika

Galina Kapanen (PhD)

Galina Kapanen (PhD) is a researcher at Tallinn University – in the Centre of Excellence in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation (TERE Centre) of Haapsalu College and at the Institute of Ecology. The main research topics are related to the natural processes of aquatic ecosystems, geochemistry and limnology.

Galina Kapanen (PhD)

Aiga Meri

Aiga Meri is Head of Projects Unit for Kurzeme planning region, which covers western Latvia. More than 15 years experience with Interreg projects, including cross-border tourism products development initiatives.

Aiga Meri

Margrit Kärp

Junior Lecturer of Department of Tourism Studies at University of Tartu Pärnu College, University of Tartu doctoral student.

Margrit Kärp

Ivo Palu

Director and Professor of the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, Faculty of Engineering at TalTech.

Ivo Palu

Rene Reisner

Rene Reisner is the Head of the Marine Environment Department at the Estonian Ministry of Climate. He has been working for the ministry for more than 20 years dealing with various issues related to the protection of marine environment and water management. He is the Head of Estonian delegation at the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), member of the JPI OCEANS management board and the national focal point for the UN-s World Ocean Assessment process. During past 8 years he contributed to the intergovernmental conferences at the UN as a negotiator representing EU in preparing the international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Rene Reisner

Helen Orav-Kotta

Associate Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Tartu Estonian Marine Institute. Research areas are related to the ecology of benthic communities, the functioning of marine ecosystems, the blue economy and bioeconomy that restores the environment and green business.

Helen Orav-Kotta