TONY HAWKINS
The Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is an independent and impartial collaborative centre of the U. K. Natural Environment Research Council. The Laboratory has a staff of approximately 130, together with a large number of research students and visitors. Its main strategic science and technology research interests include man's impact on the sea, sustainable development and exploitation of marine resources, coastal zone management, marine biodiversity, health of the oceans and global change. With respect to the present project, PML has pioneered modern approaches in the study and modelling of feeding behaviour, metabolism and growth in marine invertebrates, especially shellfish.

Dr. A. J. S. (Tony) Hawkins is Head of Science for the theme of Functional Biodiversity at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, where he is employed by the U. K. Natural Environment Research Council. He holds a B.Sc. Hons. (First Class) in Zoology from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand (1979), and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Exeter University (1983). His current research interests include resolving subtle but significant differences in filter-feeding behaviour and growth under varying natural environmental conditions in separate species of bivalve shellfish (i.e. mussels, oysters, scallops, clams), using findings to help model environmental carrying capacities for mariculture, including the effects of species composition, culture practise and stocking levels on key ecosystem processes. He has co-ordinated or participated in 5 European research projects, and worked overseas on shellfish in America, Australia, Canada, China, France, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Thailand, publishing more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers within international journals.

STEVE GROOM
Steve Groom is a remote sensing scientist with 17 years experience in satellite and aircraft remote sensing with special interest in the near-real time environmental monitoring from satellite. He is head of PML Remote Sensing Group; Principal Investigator (PI) in EC projects including HABILE (Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring; 2002 – 2004), DISMAR (Development of systems for coastal pollution monitoring; 2002-2005), and -ANREC (environmental factors in the recruitment of Anchovy; 2002-2005). He is also a subcontractor in EC CLOUDMAP2 (2001-2004); PI in the ESA ERS-2 and Envisat programmes; and head of the NERC funded facility for AVHRR, SeaWiFS and MODIS data processing for UK marine scientists (1995-2005).

RORY HUTSON
Rory Hutson is a newly appointed scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Previously he has just completed his MSc in Remote Sensing and Image Processing at Edinburgh University. His main responsibilities at PML are for the NERC Remote Sensing Data Analysis Service (RSDAS). Here he helps to maintain the near-real-time satellite image-processing, and provides data analysis/programming support to PML/RSDAS users.

PETE MILLER
Remote Sensing Scientist with 10 years experience. He has carried out research on the distribution and dynamics of physical and biological oceanographic processes such as fronts, upwelling, filaments, eddies, harmful algal blooms and internal waves, and developed novel image analysis techniques for automatically detecting such features at the sea surface using sequences of thermal and colour satellite imagery. He has also been the manager of NERC Remote Sensing Data Analysis Service (RSDAS) since 2000. Researcher in many EC projects including HABILE (2002-2004), OMEX-I and II (1994-2000).

PHILIP PASCOE
Phil Pascoe (BSc Zoology; PhD) is a Senior Scientist within the Functional Biodiversity Group at PML and has gained extensive experience in various fields within marine biology and ecology since first joining the Marine Biological Association (Plymouth) in 1980. Active involvement in EU, DOE and NERC funded projects on cephalopod biology, ecotoxicology of heavy metals (primarily the effects of TBT pollution on marine invertebrates), genetic toxicology and cytogenetics has lead to his authorship of over 30 scientific papers. Current research interests involve the feeding physiology of shellfish and sustainable aquaculture, and the genetics of muricid gastropods. He has collaborated on previous projects in Portugal (Madeira, Azores), France and China.

TREVOR TELFER
The Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling is one of a handful of institutions world wide devoted to aquaculture science. It is internationally recognized for both research and teaching and has more than 100 staff and 100 postgraduate students. The Institute’s goal is to develop and promote sustainable aquaculture through research in many areas of aquaculture science (aquatic disease, genetics, environment, nutrition, and aquaculture systems and development). The Institute is the highest rated body within its sector in UK research quality assessments (Grade 5) and is awarded a substantial number of national and international research grants, including EU Framework awards, each year. We have research collaborations in over 20 countries so have a clear international perspective on aquaculture. In addition the Institute has its own commercially run fish farms, ensuring that it keeps abreast of current issues within the industry and research and teaching is relevant to the industry’s needs.

Trevor Telfer is a Lecturer at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, and has 15 years experience in environmental assessment, including the last eight managing research and commercial projects. He lectures on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in aquaculture and the environment, and is the course director for the internationally recognized MSc in Aquaculture. Present research interests include the ecology and modelling of growth and environmental inputs, and coastal management of aquaculture. He is currently a research partner on a UK DFID sponsored study on carrying capacity indicators for tropical aquaculture, has two NERC CASE studentships and is supervisor to five PhD students.

RICHARD CORNER
Richard Corner completed his PhD on the environmental consequences of salmon culture in 2004. He has expertise in water and sediment quality testing, the ecology of fish farm habitats, the use of environmental models for fish waste dispersion and Environmental Impact Assessment. His research interests include the ecology and modelling of environmental carrying capacity and coastal zone management of aquaculture activities.

ANDERS STIGEBRANDT
The department of Oceanography at Earth Sciences Centre, Göteborg university, established in the early 1930’s, carries out research in inshore and coastal waters as well as in the open ocean. The research group in marine systems analysis works with both theoretical and experimental process studies and development of holistic models of complex marine systems. The group has a lot of experinece of modelling environmental effects of outlets of nutrients and fish farming.

Anders Stigebrandt is a professor of oceanography and leader of the research group in marine systems analysis. He has 35 years of experience in studies of physical processes and modelling of integrated physical-biogeochemical marine systems. He has developed circulation models and water quality models for fjords and the Baltic that have been much used for both research and practical applications. He played a central role in the development of the Norwegian model system for control of environmental effects of fish farming industry.

HELÉN ANDERSSON
Helén Andersson completed her PhD in Oceanography at Göteborg University in 2003. She has worked with models of large-scale ocean circulation as well as of physical circulation in inshore areas. Prime focus has been on climate variability and topographic control.

JOHANNES SMITS
Founded in 1929, WL | Delft Hydraulics is a world-wide operating independent consulting and research institute with a long standing reputation in hydrology, hydraulics, hydrodynamics, morphology, water quality and ecology. WL | Delft Hydraulics has performed numerous studies for all types of water systems, among which coastal waters, estuaries and seas take a prominent position. Many of these projects focused on modelling, environmental impact assessment, and identification of effective mitigating measures. As included in our projects the transfer of knowledge and the training in water resources management studies as well as in pertinent modeling are ever recurring activities. WL | Delft Hydraulics’ research and extensive international applications work has resulted in the development of world leading numerical models of the aquatic environment such as the DELFT-3D suite, covering waves, hydrodynamics, sediment transport, morphology, water quality and ecology. 

Johannes Smits is senior researcher and adviser with WL | Delft Hydraulics, and has been deeply involved in water quality and aquatic ecology studies for more than 26 years. He has participated in many projects as project leader and/or as water quality expert with a focus on water quality modeling and environmental impact assessment. The aspects covered by him include eutrophication, dissolved oxygen problems, pollution with heavy metals and (toxic) organic substances.

MINGYUAN ZHU (Coordinator for China)
FIO is a comprehensive oceanographic research institution, with key labs in marine ecology, physical oceanography, marine geology, biotechnology and biochemistry. FIO has been involving in many national/international projects on basic and applied investigation of marine resources and environment. It has completed 4 projects in Sanggou Bay since 1983.

Mingyuan ZHU is a professor at FIO and doctoral supervisor at China Ocean University. He is Chinese Secretary-general of SCOR-IOC Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, and member of China Experts Group for the GEF/UNEP project Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. He has published 50 peer-reviewed papers and two books.

XUELEI ZHANG
Xuelei ZHANG is an associate professor at FIO and holds a Ph.D in marine ecology from China Ocean University. His research interest has evolved from microscopic biology to macroscopic ecology over the last 10 years. He is now active in study of ecology aspect of aquaculture and eutrophication.

XIAOJUN YAN
Ningbo University (NU) is a comprehensive university with wide range of disciplines such as economics, law, education, science, engineering, agronomy, medicine and management. consisting of 18 colleges, 2000 teaching and administrative staff, and 20000 undergraduates and graduates. The participants in this scientific project come from Marine Biotechnology Key Laboratory, who have played an important role for mariculture and marine biotechnology development in Zhejiang Province.

Xiaojun Yan is a professor in NU. He holds a marine biology Ph.D in Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994. He did postdoctoral training during 1996-1999 in National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan. His main interest is biochemical analysis of marine algae, kelp physiology, culture and pathogenesis response, and bioremediation by seaweed and microalgae. He has published 15 papers in SCI journals and applied for 6 patents.

DONGZHAO LAN
Third Institute of Oceanography, SOA, founded in 1959, is a multidisciplinary marine research institution with over 300 employees including 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and 27 senior scientists. The Institute has 3 key labs of SOA, marine biotechnology, ocean circulation dynamics and sea-air interaction. The institute is competitive in the research field of marine ecology, marine chemistry and marine bio-technology. Among the more than 1400 achievements of the institute, about 100 won prizes at provincial, national and ministry levels.

Dongzhao Lan is a professor at TIO. He has 30 years’ experience of research in marine geology and phycology. He has coordinated four national projects on marine environment and phytoplankton ecology studies in the past 10 years. Qi Fang is an associate professor with 20 years experience in marine culture research. He leads a project on survival and growth enhancement of shrimp and bivalves.

MARTIN DE WIT
The CSIR is a South African non-profit science council established in 1945. CSIR, Environmentek is a leading resource for environmental expertise. The business unit has three focus areas namely, terrestrial, coast, water and energy & air. CSIR Environmentek aims for scientific excellence in these fields of expertise, whilst strengthening our ability to integrate effectively. The economics group have done economic analyses of environmental problems related to coastal systems, energy, air pollution, climate change, human health, forestry and biodiversity on a micro and policy making level.

Martin de Wit is a senior environmental economist in the CSIR, Environmentek. He obtained his Dcom from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and holds a drs (general economics) from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. He has published over 10 peer reviewed papers and book chapters in the national and international press on the interface between economic and environmental systems. He coordinates a team of nine economists on several large-scale projects, including an EU project on the economics of shrimps in Maputo Bay. He is director of the Forum for Economics and the Environment, a body stimulating debate, research and capacity building in the field of environmental economics.

FILOMENA GOMES
Project secretariat, IMAR Lisbon                                                 

CORNELIA NAUEN
EC Scientific Officer (until July 2006)                                                                  

FRANCISCA VAN CAUWENBERGHE
EC Scientific Officer (July 2006-January 2007)                                        

MARIO SCALET
EC Scientific Officer (since January 2007)                                        

REGINALD SOENEN
EC negotiator in charge of project