Charles Sheppard, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, UK,Simon Davy, Head of School, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand,Graham Pilling, Principal Fisheries Scientist, SPC, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, New Caledonia,Nicholas Graham, Chair of Marine Ecology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK

Professor Charles Sheppard has spent over 40 years researching the ecology of coral reefs and their role in supporting islands and coastal communities. He is interested especially in effects of pollution and climate change on tropical marine systems, has been Editor of the scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin for 23 years, and now is Editor of Advances in Marine Biology. He is now Emeritus Professor at the University of Warwick and was awarded the OBE for his work in conservation in the Indian Ocean.



Professor Simon Davy is a specialist in the fields of coral-algal symbiosis and coral disease. He studied for his PhD at Bangor University. He then conducted postdoctoral research at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Florida and the University of Sydney, before holding faculty positions at the University of Plymouth and now Victoria University of Wellington, where he is Head of the School of Biological Sciences. He is also President of the International Symbiosis Society and a topic editor for the scientific journal Coral Reefs.


Dr. Graham Pilling has over 20 years experience in applied fisheries science to support management, and has gained practical experience in tropical and coral reef ecosystems, including in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, and Pacific Ocean. His work has focused on stock assessment, evaluating feasible management approaches for fisheries at a range of geographic scales, and the implications of climate change for coral reef ecosystem services. He currently holds the post of Principal Fisheries Scientist at the SPC Oceanic Fisheries Programme in New Caledonia.

Professor Nicholas Graham's research tackles large-scale ecological and social-ecological coral reef issues under the overarching themes of climate change, human use, and resilience. Increasingly he works with social scientists and economists to assess methods of linking social-ecological systems for natural resource assessment and management.