Our team is composed of experts who bring together their areas of focus – from corporate supply chains to global policy to research – to improve the lives of aquatic animals worldwide. 

We welcome anyone interested in collaborating with or receiving technical input from Aquatic Life Institute to get in touch with one of our experts, or contact us here for general inquiries.

— About Us / our Team

Our TEAM

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    Catalina Lopez

    Director of the Aquatic Animal Alliance

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  • A woman with brown hair in a shoulder-length style, wearing a gray plaid blazer and a black top, smiling with her arms crossed against a plain light-colored background.

    Cecilia Valenza

    Head of Development

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  • A woman with long black hair, smiling, standing outdoors with a background of green and reddish-brown foliage.

    Christine Xu

    Head of Global Seafood Systems Transformation

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  • A woman smiling outdoors with curly hair, wearing a navy top and a necklace, with blurred background.

    Giulia Malerbi

    Head of Global Policy

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  • Close-up of a woman with curly brown hair, light skin, and blue eyes, smiling in an indoor setting.

    Jessie Lingenfelter

    Director of Communications

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  • A young woman with long brown hair and blue eyes standing against a beige wall, wearing a white T-shirt, smiling softly at the camera.

    Julia Seibel

    Head of Corporate Engagement

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  • Kristin Bayans

    Aquatic Animal Alliance Community Specialist

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  • Maud Vezien

    Policy & Food Systems Specialist

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  • Close-up of a woman with long brown hair, green eyes, and a septum piercing, standing in front of a green leafy hedge. She has a tattoo of a fish on her upper chest and is wearing a necklace with orange beads and an orange and black patterned top.

    Melissa de Miranda

    Head of Communications & Design

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  • Michelle Strickland-Kucerak

    Chief Program Officer

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  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and earrings, wearing a beige blazer over a white shirt, standing against a plain white background.

    Sophika Kostyniuk

    Managing Director

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  • A smiling man with glasses and a beard wearing a blue polo shirt and a necklace with a pendant, standing against a plain white wall.

    Steffan Edward

    Seafood Certification Lead

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  • A woman smiling on a sunny outdoor hilltop with a scenic view of a city skyline and distant horizon in the background.

    Tessa Gonzalez

    Director of Research and Impact

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Our Advisors

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    Dr. Albin Gräns

    Research Advisor

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    Alice DiConcetto

    Policy Advisor

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  • A woman with black hair and a striped t-shirt smiling outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Daniela R. Waldhorn

    Strategic Advisor

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  • Close-up of a smiling woman with long brown hair, brown eyes, wearing silver hoop earrings and a blue top, against a black background.

    Elise Bernal

    Strategic Advisor

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  • A man in a navy suit and red tie smiling while holding an Emmy award trophy outdoors in front of a building and greenery.

    Joshua Barr

    DEIJ Advisor

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  • A close-up portrait of a woman with light brown, wavy hair and blue eyes smiling slightly against a gray background.

    Lynne Sneddon

    Research Advisor

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  • Close-up of a smiling man with blonde hair tied up in a small ponytail, wearing glasses and a black jacket, outdoors on a cloudy day.

    Nico Westermann

    Strategic Marketing Consultant & Advisor

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Our Board

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    William Bench

    Founder and President of the Board at Aquatic Life Institute

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  • Close-up of a smiling man with light skin, glasses, and short, light brown hair, wearing a dark jacket with an orange interior.

    Sean Gifford

    Managing Director at The Humane League UK

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  • Marine Molina

    Veterinarian and Effective Altruism community member

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  • Amandine Sanvisens

    Founder of Projet Animaux Zoopolis (PAZ)

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