About
Who we are
At Oceans Past Initiative, we advance interdisciplinary research to uncover the history of marine ecosystems and human-ocean relationships. By connecting researchers, traditional knowledge holders, practitioners, and policymakers, we generate insights from the past to guide evidence-based actions for healthier oceans and sustainable societies.
History
Governing board
The ocean is central to life on Earth – it harbours immense biodiversity, regulates the climate, and provides essential services to human societies. Human activities are transforming the ocean at an uncertain pace and scale. Understanding the extent and diversity of these changes requires a historical perspective on human-ocean interactions throughout time.
Ruth Thurstan
Associate Professor in Marine and Historical Ecology
University of Exeter | United Kingdom
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am the Chair of the OPI Board. In addition to running our monthly board meetings and helping to organise the Oceans Past conference series, I represent the OPI community at external groups.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
The OPI provides exciting opportunities to work with and learn from researchers and practitioners around the world. It provides a platform to help answer important questions about past human-ocean interactions and how the past continues to influence our lives and marine ecosystems. The OPI community has opened my eyes to exciting new questions and interdisciplinary approaches, and being on the Board is a fantastic way to give back. I am passionate to continue growing this global network that does vital work to understand and communicate changes in marine and coastal social-ecological systems through time.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
Key priorities include further strengthening the OPI as an inclusive network that enables researchers working and collaborating across disciplines to thrive. As part of this we want to continue to grow our global membership, and I am particularly interested in finding ways to further support early career researchers and researchers from currently underrepresented countries who are researching past coasts, oceans and human-ocean interactions.
Andre Carlo Colonese
Director of Research in the Department of Prehistory and the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona | Spain
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am the new Secretary of the OPI Board, responsible for managing the monthly board meetings, assisting with the Oceans Past conference series, and promoting OPI to external groups.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
OPI presents a unique opportunity to promote a historical perspective on some of the greatest challenges in our society, such as the escalating degradation of our oceans. It also provides a platform to showcase examples of sustainable human interaction with Oceans’ systems. My primary interest is to support the research network in achieving its mission. In addition, a quick look at studies on marine historical ecology reveals a significant gap in the southern hemisphere, particularly in Latin American and African countries. I am especially interested in enhancing the Global South component of OPI and linking it with other initiatives worldwide.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
One of my key goals is to enhance OPI’s relevance in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly in regions with significant research gaps such as Latin America and Africa. I also aim to foster a deeper reflection on its role within the science-policy interface, especially in relation to conservation and cultural heritage management. On an executive level, I will contribute to expanding OPI’s membership by increasing its visibility among a wider audience.
Ben Fitzhugh
Professor of Anthropological Archaeology, Department of Anthropology
University of Washington | USA
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
In my third term on the Board, I serve as OPI Treasurer with the charge to oversee OPI finances such that we can continue to serve the members and advance the OPI mission and vision.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
I have a deep-time interest in the dynamics of ocean ecology and the histories of maritime cultures. I have served on the Board since 2018 to help facilitate interdisciplinary discovery and the unexpected synergies that emerge when transdisciplinary communities of scholars come together to listen, learn and exchange ideas about these issues. OPI congresses provide this unique opportunity, and the work of the Board between helps keep OPI members connected, draw new scholars into the community, and provide services of value (e.g., OPIS, OPI Website, and Ocean’s Past News).
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
OPI members share the conviction that historical perspectives provide vital insights about long-term trends in maritime human-ecological relationships that are both satisfying and essential for future sustainability planning. These insights are strengthened when inclusive of diverse and underrepresented voices. OPI needs to continue finding new ways to welcome the participation of Indigenous and other underrepresented scholars, funding conference travel for these scholars and, where possible, hosting meetings outside of Europe and North America.
Nayeli Jiménez Cano
Assistant Professor of Anthropology of Climate Change, Department of Anthropology
University of California, San Diego | USA
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am a new Board member. I participate in the monthly meetings and assist with organizing the OPI biannual confereces. Specifically, I coordinate the website contents to ensure the platform reaches a wider audience.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
I see OPI as an ideal platform for interdisciplinary research to explore the oceans’ past from a socio-ecological perspective. I am excited to expand the presence of diverse researchers from various backgrounds and to integrate local communities into the research process. Equally, I am committed to communicating OPI’s work to those directly facing coastal and marine challenges, ensuring their perspectives are heard. By fostering inclusivity and collaboration, I aim to help build a more comprehensive research network that bridges scientific knowledge with local experiences.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
My goal for OPI is to strengthen its research network by connecting researchers across disciplines and career stages. I also aim to expand its reach beyond the Global North, engaging a global audience. By fostering cross-cultural collaborations, I hope to enhance the impact of OPI’s research, making it more inclusive and globally relevant.
Carolina Chong-Montenegro
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Trinity College | Dublin, Ireland
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am the membership officer of OPI. I oversee membership status, respond to inquiries, and process renewals. Additionally, I participate in our monthly meetings and help organize OPI conferences.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
OPI has an extensive research community that brings together experts from various disciplines to explore the histories of our oceans. My interest in serving on the Board is to support OPI’s goals and help establish collaborations across regions, particularly by strengthening networks with regions in the Global South.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
I hope to increase OPI’s visibility and attract individuals, particularly Early Career Researchers, interested in the historical legacies of our oceans. I also aim to foster collaborations across regions, where we can learn from each other’s experiences and help build stronger partnerships among OPI members.
Madison Bowden-Parry
PhD Researcher in Marine Historical Ecology
University of Exeter | United Kingdom
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am a new Early Career Representative board member. As well as contributing to regular OPI objectives, alongside Ilse, Youri, and Carolina, I will help facilitate and manage the OPI social media accounts.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
My PhD uses interdisciplinary approaches to better understand past marine ecosystems and communities, which has naturally provided me with the opportunities to foster cross-disciplinary collaborations. It is through this work that I was able to connect with the OPI community and broaden my research network, by attending and being a part of the local organising committee for the OPX 2024 conference. I am excited by the strong ECR representative of the board and opportunity to work alongside a great team, as well as the professional development opportunities provided within the OPI.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
I hope that by contributing to OPI as a board member, and through the digital outreach work, I can contribute towards growing the community and its reach. By facilitating a space that showcases marine historical ecology research and the lessons to share, I hope we can generate collaborations across disciplines, including contemporary science and policy, as well as the ECRs in this space.
Ilse Alejandra Martínez Candelas
Ph.D. student. School of Environmental Studies
University of Victoria | Canada
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am one of the early career board members and part of the social media team. My role is to be part of the decision-making and to help organize the Oceans Past Conference.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
There are not a lot of researchers who use interdisciplinary approaches to study fisheries and their history in my home country. OPI meetings have allowed me to meet and connect with amazing scholars and learn about fantastic projects from across the world and innovative methods. These meetings have given me the opportunity to expand my research interests and network, as well as to promote my own research. I hope that by serving on the board I can increase Global South scholars’ participation as we are often underrepresented in science.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
My main goal is to get more people involved. There are incredible projects and research happening across the world, and OPI is the perfect place to promote them. OPI encourages ECR participation and innovative science; sometimes my research feels too interdisciplinary to fit in other academic spaces. I never get that feeling when participating in OPI meetings or when I read the newsletter. I hope more non-traditional scholars get to experience this feeling of belonging.
Youri van den Hurk
Postdoctoral fellow, Hokkaido University Museum
Hokkaido University | Sapporo, Japan
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am one of the Early Career Researcher representatives. I would like to ensure a strong presence of ECRs within OPI. I take care of some of the social media activities and have been involved in organizing the 2024 conference.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
I have attended the OPI meetings for several years now and have always enjoyed attending these conferences. By sitting on the board I hope to make these meetings even more attractive to researchers and especially to ECRs.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
I would like to see the OPI get bigger and attract people from more various backgrounds. Moreover, I would like to see a direct link with conservation ecologists and policy makers and make the data we collect from the ocean’s past more relevant to modern issues. It is my strong belief that the past holds important lessons for the present and future.
Rachel M. Winter
NEH Postdoctoral Fellow
Winterthur Museum, Gardens & Library | Delaware, USA
— What is your position on the Board and what does this entail?
I am the Editor for the quarterly newsletter (Oceans Past Newsletter) that gets sent out on behalf of the OPI. This involves working with the OPI community to gather news and material for each newsletter and then assembling the final product. As part of this role I am an ex-officio member of the OPI board and so attend monthly board meetings, help with conference planning, and generally contribute to OPI’s activities.
— What is your interest in serving on the Board of OPI?
I am interested in helping to foster international and cross-disciplinary collaborations and promoting early career researchers by striving to select a diverse range of content for the Newsletter. I hope that through the large (and growing reach) of our newsletter and choices with content, new ideas are shared and new connections are made.
— What is one hope or goal you have for OPI moving forward?
I hope to see OPI lead to more bridges being formed between researchers, policymakers, and fisheries-dependent communities. I think that by further incorporating additional perspectives (geographically, research career stage, disciplines, etc.) we reach richer insights and our work can have more meaningful impacts for fisheries management, marine ecosystems, and coastal communities.