PLENARY SESSIONS

Plenary 1, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Aida Alvera-Azcárate

Aida Alvera-Azcárate is a physical oceanographer working at the GHER group of the University of Liège. She obtained a degree in Marine Science from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) in 2000 and a PhD in Science from the University of Liège in 2004. She was a research associate at the College of Marine Science of the University of South Florida from 2004 to 2007. Her work at the University of Liège focuses on the use and improvement of ocean remote sensing data to advance our understanding of the marine environment. She specialises in the reconstruction of missing data using DINEOF, applied to variables like chlorophyll concentration, suspended particulate matter, turbidity and sea surface temperature among others.  Her research interests also include integrating multiplatform data (satellite, in situ) along with model data to study  the variability of the ocean at different spatial and temporal scales.

Plenary 2, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Hervé Claustre

Hervé Claustre is an internationally recognized pioneer of autonomous ocean observation and marine bio-optical monitoring. An observational oceanographer and biogeochemist at the Villefranche Oceanography Laboratory (CNRS / Sorbonne University), his work has been central to the development of optical and robotic observing systems that now underpin our understanding of marine ecosystems and the ocean’s role in climate regulation.

His scientific trajectory began with foundational contributions to phytoplankton pigment analysis and ocean-color validation, developing HPLC-based bio-optical approaches that became standard tools for characterizing phytoplankton communities and linking in situ optics to satellite ocean color. He played a key role in major calibration–validation and biogeochemical process cruises, including the landmark BIOSOPE expedition in the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

His research has consistently bridged optical sensing, autonomous platforms and satellite ocean color, enabling a new three-dimensional vision of marine biogeochemistry. He has been a driving force behind the development and scientific exploitation of profiling floats and underwater gliders equipped with bio-optical sensors, opening access to vast, previously unobservable regions of the global ocean.

A two-time recipient of the prestigious European Research Council Advanced Grant for the prototyping of breakthrough profiling floats to explore and quantify carbon fluxes, he has authored more than 200 scientific publications. He is co-founder and co-chair of the international BGC-Argo programme, which now operates the world’s first global network of bio-optical profiling floats delivering open-access data for climate research, satellite validation and contributing to emerging observation-based ocean governance in the open ocean.

Through his scientific leadership, international coordination and strong commitment to open data and knowledge sharing, Hervé Claustre is a key contributor to the development of modern ocean optics and autonomous ocean observing.

Plenary 3, Wednesday, September 16

Wayne H. Slade

Dr. Wayne H. Slade is an Associate Research Professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. He joined the FAU faculty in late 2023. Before joining FAU, Dr. Slade spent significant time in the private sector with Sequoia Scientific, Inc., where he led instrumentation R&D for ocean optics and other environmental and industrial applications. He received his Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Maine in 2011, focused on ocean optics, and before that, received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering, working on neural networks and machine learning applications to problems like ocean color remote sensing. Dr. Slade’s work bridges engineering and oceanography: working to better understand how optical tools can be used to infer biogeochemical and physical processes, as well as designing and deploying optical sensors and developing new methods (including multi-spectral, multi-angle, polarimetric systems) to measure inherent optical properties in situ using a variety of platforms. At FAU’s Harbor Branch, he is establishing a new lab focused on optical particle sensing relevant to inland, coastal, and open-ocean processes, as well as applying these tools to understand episodic events (e.g., freshwater releases, harmful algal blooms, and storms) that have significant impact to coastal Florida and beyond.

Plenary 4, Thursday, September 17

Zhongping Lee

The Oceanography Society selected Dr. Zhongping Lee of Xiamen University as the recipient of the 2026 Nils Gunnar Jerlov Medal for his breakthrough in water transparency theory and outstanding contributions to the advancement of ocean color remote sensing, recognizing his transformative contributions to understanding how light interacts with the ocean, as well as his sustained leadership in education, interdisciplinary research, and collaborative work with meaningful societal impact. Over more than three decades, Lee’s research has reshaped the theoretical foundations and practical implementation of ocean color science, enabling robust global observations of ocean transparency, productivity, and optical properties from satellites.

Central to Lee’s impact is his pioneering shift toward an inherent optical properties (IOP)–centered framework for ocean color remote sensing. This physics-based approach replaced empirical, chlorophyll-centered methods with models grounded in radiative transfer, dramatically improving accuracy and global applicability. His Quasi-Analytical Algorithm (QAA) for retrieving absorption and backscattering of water constituents from satellite observations is now used operationally by NASA, NOAA, and ESA.

Lee’s revised theory of Secchi disk depth replaced the decades-old paradigm and established a direct, mechanistic link between water transparency and diffuse attenuation—an advance that made global satellite-based transparency products possible. These products are now adopted operationally, providing critical insights into water transparency and ecosystem change.

Through his groundbreaking research, collaborative leadership, and dedication to training the next-generation scientists, Zhongping Lee exemplifies the goals of the Nils Gunnar Jerlov Medal. His selection as the 2026 recipient recognizes a career that has fundamentally advanced ocean optics and delivered enduring scientific and societal benefits. > Read more

Plenary 5, Friday, September 18

Gemma Kulk

Dr. Gemma Kulk is an expert in phytoplankton physiology and primary production, leading research on the role of phytoplankton in the ocean carbon cycle using ocean-colour remote sensing. She leads the European Space Agency-funded project Satellite-based Observations of Carbon in the Ocean: Pools, Fluxes, and Exchanges (SCOPE), which aims to develop a comprehensive ocean carbon budget from satellite observations. She is a member of the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG) working group on Primary Production and a contributing author to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Aquatic Carbon Roadmap.

In addition, Gemma researches the environmental drivers of waterborne diseases and co-leads the Wellcome Trust-funded project Water-Associated Infectious Diseases in India (WADIM), developing digital technologies to reduce disease impacts. She is a member of the Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) thematic group on Public Health and Climate Change and has co-authored policy briefs on climate change, water quality, and human health that contributed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Gemma is a senior scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK) and previously worked at the University of Groningen (Netherlands). She holds a PhD with highest honours in Mathematics and Natural Sciences and has over a decade of interdisciplinary research experience across polar, temperate, and tropical marine environments. She is also an experienced project manager and educator.