Carl O'Brien and Pablo Abaunza, new President and first Vice President of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
Image credits: Cefas & Instituto Español de Oceanografía.
The leading intergovernmental body for marine science and conservation, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), has undergone a change in leadership in recent days with the election of the UK's Carl O'Brien as President and Spain's Pablo Abaunza as Vice-President.
O'Brien, who is also Chief Fisheries Science Adviser for the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Cefas, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, has been involved with ICES since 1995, serving as the UK Delegate to ICES since 2012. A respected figure within fisheries science, O'Brien previously held the role of ICES Vice-President, and now takes over from outgoing president Bill Karp.
Meanwhile, Pablo Abaunza, a prominent researcher from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), has been apointed as the first vice-president. Based at IEO’s Santander Oceanographic Center, Abaunza has dedicated over 30 years to ICES in roles spanning fishery biology, stock assessment, and multiple advisory committees. His past positions include Deputy Director of Research at IEO and Director of the Santander Oceanographic Center.
“This appointment is a recognition of our country and our institution, which, beyond being a source of pride, entails a great responsibility,” Abaunza said in a news release. “I began my professional career participating in ICES back in 1990 and have grown professionally—and I’d say personally—under the umbrella of this organization, so I face this new stage with great enthusiasm,” he added.
Founded in 1902, ICES is central to efforts promoting sustainable ocean practices, encompassing nearly 6,000 scientists from over 700 institutions worldwide. The organization spans the North Atlantic and includes member countries from Europe and North America, also collaborates with observer countries such as South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Through global partnerships, ICES’s work reaches the Arctic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and North Pacific. The organization’s mission is to advance scientific understanding of marine ecosystems to provide guidance on sustainable ocean management practices.
ICES organizes an annual science conference and publishes the ICES Journal of Marine Science, a leading publication in fisheries, marine biology, and oceanography. The ICES Council, comprising representatives from member countries, serves as its governing body, electing an Executive Committee every three years to oversee the organization’s research and operations.