Executive Committee 2023-2024

Portugal

I’m a PhD student at the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and I focus my research in the Southern Ocean deep-sea, being interested in the ecological interactions (mainly predator-prey), species autoecology and resources management. For my PhD, I’m studying the deep-sea food webs related with the Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish fisheries in the Southern Ocean, to understand how these are structured and how climate and anthropogenic stressors can affect it. My primarily work in polar ecosystems was during my degree when I studied the habitat and trophic ecology of Antarctic squids. It was during my master that I turned my research to Southern Ocean fisheries and studied the diet and trace elements concentrations in Antarctic toothfish from the Ross Sea region. During all these periods I had the luck to spend several months in the Southern Ocean, as by collecting samples for my research onboard fishing vessels, as by spending some time in scientific stations analysing them. Besides my academic research, I’m interested in Education and Outreach activities, given talks in schools and museums, but also participating in science fairs and other events. Conferences, coffee breaks and engage with friends after work are among my favourite things to do. I became an APECS member in 2014 as a member of the Executive Committee of the Portuguese National Committee which I chaired during the 2018 term. In 2016 I joined the APECS Council and since then I participated in several different project groups, being a Project Group Leader of some of them, had the chance of being a council co-chair for two terms and a member of the Executive Committee for one term.

Portugal

Olá from Portugal! I'm Hugo Guímaro and I am a PhD student at the University of Coimbra based at the Marine and Environmental Science Centre (MARE, Coimbra- Portugal) and at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS, Cambridge- United Kingdom). I focus on Antarctic marine animal ecology with a particular interest in the ecological interactions with climate change of the iconic Emperor Penguin species. By applying satellite imagery technology, my ambition is to help conservation actions effectiveness, while contributing to carbon-neutral solutions as a future research priority of polar science. My life naturally led me to choose a background in Biology with a specialization in Ecology, but social sciences are also present in my life. I'm highly involved in education and outreach activities related to polar science, raising awareness for environmental issues. Photography is another part of my life that I use as an escape and a way of perpetuating memories in time. My experience with APECS began in 2017, and since then this adventure of being part of the early polar community has given me numerous opportunities that help me with my personal development. Through these years, I had the chance to help others. Having these opportunities with such responsibilities (i.e., National Committee Coordinator, Council Chair or even APECS Portugal Representative) makes me feel passionate about helping others. I believe collaboration and kindness are the best way to a better community and a better world, and I hope to continue sharing it with everyone in APECS through new challenges.

United Kingdom

I am an Interdisciplinary Fellow at the University of Aberdeen where I use remote sensing and artificial intelligence techniques to study glaciers and ice sheets. I am currently leading the development of a Greenland Ice Sheet digital twin which will aim to understand the drivers of recent mass loss from the ice sheet. Previously, I studied for a BSc in Geography at the University of Exeter before obtaining an MSc in Geographical Information Science (GIS) from the University of Edinburgh. In 2022, I completed a PhD in Physics at the University of St Andrews where I developed millimetre-wave radar for mapping and monitoring glaciers. I have been involved in APECS since 2020 through co-leadership of the Polar Earth Observation database project group and loved every minute of it! Beyond this, I also contribute to other Arctic consortia such as the Remote Sensing Working Group (RSWG) of the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS). Through these roles, I aim to speak up for and enhance the voices of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) working within Polar science from across the world.

The Netherlands

I am originally from Bremen, northern Germany, where I also did my PhD on the topic of past ice-sheet dynamics in western Greenland based on isotope geochemistry. I analysed radiogenic isotopes in marine sediments in order to trace detrital sediment fluxes through meltwater discharge from the Greenland Ice Sheet into Baffin Bay. After my PhD I added some organic geochemistry to my inorganic geochemistry expertise by doing a postdoc at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Here I am working on the fate and transport of organic carbon into the Arctic Ocean from thawing permafrost, mainly in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. As so many of us I also couldn't help falling in love with the beautiful and unique environment of the Arctic which happened for me during a research cruise that I attended while doing my master degree in Gothenburg, Sweden. Since that summer in 2015 I wanted to contribute my part to polar research and science communication to help protect and raise awareness about the delicate and rapidly changing Arctic realm. During the past years I have been involved in different outreach and science communication projects, including being part of the APECS social media team - because communicating the science is, to me, as important as the science itself. Besides being involved in APECS for the past four terms in different roles (project group leader, social media coordinator, ExCom member) I am also actively part of the European Geoscience Union (EGU) early career network within the cryosphere division by currently holding the position of one of the chief-editors of the EGU cryosphere blog.

USA

My name is Ryan O’Hara, and I am an undergraduate studying computer science, mathematics, and environmental physics at California’s Harvey Mudd College. My primary research focus is on the ways that robotic systems can support failing ecosystems and mitigate the consequences and root causes of climate change. This research has taken me from NASA’s Kennedy and Ames Space Centers, where I worked on the development of an algae-based life support and water purification system for extraterrestrial habitats and water-starved regions on Earth and helped develop AI models to better capture the emissions of air and spacecraft, to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where I took part in a research expedition to study the effects of climate change on both myctophid populations and the wider marine ecosystem. During my tenure with APECS, I have served as the founder of the UNFCCC project group, a project group leader for the podcast project group, represented APECS as part of our organization’s group review of the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report, and was a council co-chair during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 terms. Outside of academia, I am very involved in green electoral politics, grassroots environmental organizing, and advocating for equitable and sustainable environmental policies.

Canada

Greetings from Rimouski in Canada ! Despite growing up in the tropical island of Guadeloupe (French West Indies), I have been interested in the polar landscape, ever since a trip I took to Spitzbergen with my grandmother when I was 8. Since then, I’ve mainly focused my academic background in polar marine sciences. My bachelor degree was in Geology and Biology, and my master's and PhD degrees in Oceanography. My PhD was in Physical and Biological Oceanography, especially on how primary production and pelago-benthic coupling will respond to environmental changes in the North Water Polynya in the Arctic. Because my research is only computer-related, and I really enjoy going to the field, I often find myself helping with others' polar projects. That attitude led me to travel to the Carlini base (Antarctica, Argentina) and to Baffin Bay (Nunavut, Canada) for oceanography missions to study the impacts of marine variables on the ecosystem. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow and a coordinator for BOREAS a Northern Environment Research Group as well as for the Research chair in environmental education and sustainable development. My interest in outreach activities led me to develop the Ocean Week project to bring Early Career Scientists to primary school students over the French-speaking countries. These experiences made me realize the importance and advantages of diversity and international collaboration. I’ve been a member of the Council and on the board of APECS France since 2017, and have thoroughly enjoyed the sense of community, network, and opportunities that APECS has provided. Within the Council, I was mainly involved in the leadership of the IPCC review Project Group which aims to provide opportunities to early career scientists to take part in the review activities of IPCC reports. I completed the two allowed terms in the ExCom, with one as President, and this experience was just amazing ! I encountered colleagues and friends that I was happy to work with. I am glad to have been invited to join ExCom as ExOfficio for this term. I’m looking forward to working again with the Council to continue the amazing job we did with the ExCom last term, to continue to grow APECS and make it shine on the international scene of polar associations through its continued support of early career scientists.

Germany