Dr. Riaan Cedras were reelected as chair of the WIO-ECSN. He is a Lecturer at the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Western Cape. His research interests focus on the understanding of plankton assemblages, structure at the micro, meso- and macro-scales of space, primarily in the Western Indian Ocean region. He thoroughly enjoys investigating the patterns in diversity, abundance, distribution and community structure of pelagic copepods in the WIO. He is also involved as a task team member of the United Nations informal group on Monitoring the Ocean Decade’s Impact that assess the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030.

He pursues capacity and human skills building initiatives (WIO-ECSN), through plankton training workshops, and introducing the scientific method to students through plankton related fieldwork activities both on land and at sea. His research remains in collaboration projects with institutions, locally and abroad, at evaluating the need for a long-term monitoring ecosystem-based approach to plankton research, to understand the impacts of ocean and climate change in our coastal and marine environment. To him, the WIO-ECSN promotes and supports the research of early career scientists in the WIO region through partnership with relevant stakeholders.

Official email: rcedras@uwc.ac.za

WhatsApp number: +27.78.421.1441

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Riaan-Cedras

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/riaan-cedras-7246b512a

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0562-4173