SEAMOUNTS: Building an International Science Seamounts

Ana Colaço is a researcher at the University of the Azores for more than 20 years. She specialises in vulnerable marine Ecosystems, namely in hydrothermal vents and sponge aggregations. She studies the trophic ecology of deep-sea systems, benthic ecology, ecosystem functioning and conservation. She is involved as an expert in several science-policy panels of the European Commission, International Seabed Authority, and the Portuguese government, and as a nominee in CBD processes such as EBSA and the post 2020 GBF. She is presently co-chair of the Working Group Deep-sea Ecology (WGDEC) of the International Council for the Exploitation of the Sea. She participated in over 40 oceanographic cruises with submersibles (including 12 as a PI) and five manned submersible dives (Alvin, Nautile and Lula1000). She is Commissaire of the Sargasso Sea Commission and a member of the Advisory Board of DOSI.

Aaron Micallef is a marine geoscientist specialising in seafloor geomorphology and submarine landscape evolution. His expertise focuses on sediment transport processes, fluid flow systems, and geohazards in continental shelf and slope environments. He develops and applies advanced seafloor mapping, in situ monitoring, and process-based analytical techniques to investigate erosion, deposition, and seafloor–ecosystem interactions. His work integrates geology, oceanography, and technology innovation to better understand dynamic seafloor systems and their response to environmental and anthropogenic forcings.

Anabel von Jackowski is a marine biogeochemist studying how organic matter and microorganisms interact. She received her PhD from GEOMAR and Kiel University on seasonal carbon cycling in the Arctic Ocean, followed by postdoctoral research in France and Sweden, including work on microbial communities on Central Arctic seamounts.

Martin Visbeck is a physical oceanographer and currently an Ocean Consultant. His research addresses ocean circulation and climate variability. A former President of The Oceanography Society, he champions internationally collaborative ocean science.

Paula Andrea Zapata-Ramírez is a marine biodiversity expert with over 15 years of international experience in ecosystem conservation, marine spatial planning and science-policy integration across the Caribbean, Pacific and Mediterranean regions. Her research explores marine ecosystems using satellite remote sensing, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for seafloor mapping and biodiversity assessments that support conservation planning and ocean management. She has led or co-led over 25 multidisciplinary projects, including deep-sea ecosystem exploration and methane seep research in the Colombian Caribbean, and has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications. She holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Ecology from the Polytechnic University of Marche. She was Co-Chief Scientist on the Doldrums Fracture Zone expedition.

Dr Se-Jong Ju is a Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Oceanography from Inha University, Republic of Korea, and earned his PhD through the Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences Program at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. Dr Ju specialises in marine ecology, with particular expertise in marine food-web dynamics and ecosystem processes. Since joining KIOST, he has been actively involved in environmental baseline studies and environmental research related to the exploration and development of deep-seabed mineral resources. Dr Ju has contributed extensively to international marine science and ocean governance. He currently serves as a member of PICES, representing the Republic of Korea, and he served as a member of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) of the ISA from 2017 to 2026. Dr Ju has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications. His current interests also include deep-sea environmental assessment, BBNJ, and the scientific basis for area-based management tools (ABMTs), including MPAs.