Who we are
Dr Mat Vanderklift
- Mat is based in the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre (Perth, Australia) and is responsible for implementing the work program. Mat is a senior research scientist with 25 years of experience studying coastal vegetated ecosystems, with a particular focus on understanding the factors that influence growth, the interactions among the plants and animals in those ecosystems, and their responses to the way that humans use them. He has worked in seagrass, coral reef, and other coastal ecosystems widely in the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. His research in blue carbon encompasses the science of ecology and biogeochemistry, but also the policy, legal and financial frameworks. He has hosted international conferences and workshops, has a passion for training early career science and policy practitioners, and leads a range of projects and activities that seek to enhance our understanding of blue carbon and improve the frameworks in which they are managed. He strives not just to study problems, but to use science to solve them.
Lauren Hardiman
- Lauren is based in Brisbane, Australia and is responsible for the day to day operations, communications, and event management. Lauren has a degree and masters in marine science and has been working in the environment sector for over 10 years. She has experience in wetlands management, stakeholder engagement, science communication, project management and has organised several high-profile workshops. Lauren has previously worked for the Queensland Department of Environment and Science managing wetlands across the state. Lauren is passionate about raising awareness of the importance of blue carbon ecosystems to enable effective management.
Mark Wilson
- Based at the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre in Perth (Australia), Mark brings logistical excellence and an evolving blue carbon technical expertise. He is responsible for managing logistics of events and activities conducted by the IORA Blue Carbon Hub. Mark has been responsible for a variety of operational, logistical and scientific support functions in his 15 years at CSIRO. He has been involved in blue carbon research since 2016, where he was a key member in the inaugural (Australia Awards) Blue Carbon Fellowship, with participants from Mauritius, Seychelles, and Madagascar. Since then, Mark has had the privilege of supporting many activities, webinars, symposiums and early career training programs. He has organised training fellowships for Indonesian (2019) and Sri Lankan (2022) participants as well as training programs for Pacific Islanders (2022) and has been integral to the subsequent success of these projects.
