Marta Coll is a Researcher at Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC - the Spanish National Research Council).
How did you first get involved with ICES?
I have been participating in events organized by ICES, such as the Annual Science Conference (ASC), various ICES/PICES events, and specialized courses, since the early days of my PhD.
In 2012, I was invited to give the junior keynote talk in the "Human Interactions with the Marine Environment" session at the Second ICES/PICES Early Career Scientist Conference “Oceans of Change", held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
At that conference, working along with Manuel Hidalgo (IEO), the idea to establish an expert group on comparative analyses between European Atlantic and Mediterranean marine ecosystems to move towards an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries (WGCOMEDA) emerged.
What roles have you played in within ICES?
WGCOMEDA began in 2013/2014 and I have been co-chairing this group with Manuel Hidalgo, Hilmar Hinz (IMEDEA), and Christian Möllmann (University of Hamburg) until recently.
In 2018, I organized a theme session at the Annual Science Conference on Cumulative effects assessment in the marine realm: approaches, examples and future needs, with Vanessa Stelzenmüller (Thünen Institute) and Joachim Claudet (French National Centre for Scientific Research).
I am currently a member of the new ICES/PICES Working Group on Small Pelagic Fish (WGSPF). I have also participated in WKEWIEA, a workshop on operational Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) models to inform integrated ecosytem assessments (IEAs).
How has being a member of ICES impacted on your career?
Being a member of ICES has impacted on my career in a very positive way. Participation in ICES activities keeps me up to date with state-of-the-art theories, methods, and applications. It has given me a broader vision of marine science and has made me realize how important the science–policy interface is to have a positive impact on the management of marine resources.
And most importantly, it has enabled me to collaborate with motivated and diverse scientists as well as meet great colleagues and friends.
Why would you recommend becoming a member of this community?
ICES community has provided me a unique opportunity to attend high standard events and present my science, to learn from colleagues, to access highly specialized training courses, and, in general, to be kept up to date with outstanding science and be part of an exciting scientific community.
There are many ways to become involved with ICES:
In addition, each year, ICES organizes events for early career scientists at our Annual Science Conference (ASC).
