National Node -
Australia & New Zealand
Photo credit: Victor hM0jUUU5eDg & Kyle Myburgh / Unsplash
Introducing the ECOP Australia and New Zealand National Node
The vision of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (the ‘Ocean Decade’) is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a global framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to co-design and co-deliver the scientific knowledge needed to inform decision-making and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
Established in 2024, ECOP Australia and New Zealand (AUS/NZ) is the National Node of the UN Ocean Decade Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Networking Programme for ECOPs based in or originating from Australia and New Zealand. We serve as the focal point for the ECOP programme in the region, collaborating with the wider ECOP Programme and disseminating relevant materials, opportunities, and news to local ECOPs.
For the purpose of the ECOP Programme, an ECOP is a person that self-identifies as being early in their career, within 10 years or less of professional experience in any field related to the ocean. This definition includes post-secondary students and any volunteer roles, so not only employed/paid positions. The term ‘professional’ is used to be inclusive of professionals from various sectors of society.
Vision
ECOP AUS/NZ aims to connect and empower ocean professionals and advocates across Australia and New Zealand, fostering a diverse and multidisciplinary community dedicated to making a difference in protecting our shared ocean. Our main aspiration is to cultivate and support ocean leaders who will drive transformative change for a healthy ocean and resilient communities. We strongly support a diverse member base, including individuals who self-identify as belonging to under-represented groups in STEMM, and particularly encourage those who belong to and/or work with Traditional Owners | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders | Māori custodian groups and communities to become members!
Mission
Our mission is to support the personal and professional development of ECOPs based in or originating from Australia and New Zealand. Through various avenues, including capacity building, co-creation, and networking, we are committed to equip and empower ECOPs to make the impact they aspire to. One of our targets is to enhance cross-sectoral cooperation, particularly between academia, industry, phylantropy, government, and indigenous communities, aligining with the goals and needs of ECOPs in the region and with the Ocean Decade’s vision of ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’.
Objectives
To achieve our mission, we have set out the following objectives:
- Capacity Building: Create and promote development opportunities for our members through online webinars, in-person training, workshops, and other professional activities.
- Needs Assessment: Identify the specific needs, priorities, and challenges of AUS/NZ ECOPs and actively seek solutions.
- Networking and Knowledge Sharing: Create opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing through various platforms and events, including virtual and in-person gatherings.
- Strengthening the ECOP AUS/NZ Network: Build a diverse group of AUS/NZ ECOPs while cultivating partnerships with key strategic partners across Australia and New Zealand, including research institutions, industry groups, governmental bodies, NGOs, and indigenous organizations, among others.
- First Nations Partnership and Leadership: Promote and integrate Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori knowledge, perspectives, and leadership in ocean science and management. Foster meaningful partnerships that respect and uplift traditional ecological knowledge, spiritual, and cultural practices related to the ocean.
Goals and Activities
- Facilitate communication and collaboration between ECOPs across Australia and New Zealand
- Facilitate connections between AUS/NZ ECOPs and the global UN ECOP network
- Promote participation of AUS/NZ ECOPs in global ECOP initiatives and events
- Organize webinars featuring AUS/NZ ocean experts and ECOPs
- Plan annual in-person ECOP AUS/NZ symposium
- Enable communication for sharing of research, job opportunities, and funding information among ECOPs
Join ECOP AUS/NZ
- Connect and network with other ECOPs across Australia and New Zealand.
- Access development opportunities and networking events tailored to the AUS/NZ context.
- Stay informed about the latest conferences, events, job opportunities, and funding in the region.
- Contribute to and learn from the unique ocean perspectives of Australia and New Zealand, including indigenous knowledge systems.
- Receive tailored mentoring and support from ECOP peers and from invited experts.
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ECOP AUS/NZ Highlights
We are happy to report that ECOP AUS/NZ was present at AMSA 2025 in Melbourne! We organised a pre-conference workshop on ‘Demystifying Academic Publishing’ in partnership with CSIRO Publishing and AMSA, as well as a networking lunch during the conference for members and attendees interested in hearing more about our National Node. A huge thank you to everyone who attended! Special thanks to Pat Hannah from CSIRO Publishing for sharing his wisdom with us! If you missed the workshop, we will work with Pat to organise an online repeat! Stay tuned for future events. Together, we’re making waves in ocean science.
ECOP AUS/NZ Coordination Unit
Rita M Franco-Santos
University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Rita Franco-Santos is a marine ecologist whose current research focuses on carbon pathways in kelp forests, more specifically on the fate and magniture of kelp-derived carbon, and the potential for these ecosystems to contribute to marine carbon sequestration. She has previous experience in zooplankton (feeding) ecology, having worked with cephalopods, copepods, polychaete and urchin larvae, and krill; and in lipid biochemistry. She studied zooplankton from ecosystems ranging from the tropics to the poles, including the Atlantic coast of Panama, the North Sea, the Arctic, and Antarctica; and is currently focusing on temperate reefs in Western Australia.
Rita is also a Member-at-Large in the Board of Directors of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO).
Danielle Smith
Centre for Policy Futures, University of Queensland, Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre, Centre for Marine Socioecology (CMS), Brisbane, Australia
Danielle Smith is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Futures, University of Queensland. Working with the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre her research identifies international best practices in the regulatory and policy frameworks that will inform and govern the expanding offshore wind energy industry in Australia. Danielle’s experience and interests are international ocean governance, biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), marine protected areas, marine spatial planning (MSP), socio-ecological and cumulative impact assessment of anthropogenic activities and other climatic impacts on the marine environment.
Rosa Maria Cañedo-Apolaya
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and Centre for Marine Socioecology (CMS), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
Rosa Maria is a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Centre for Marine Socioecology. Her current research aims to assess risk literacy levels and how diverse ocean user groups perceive and understand the risks, benefits, and trade-offs associated with Blue Economy sectors to support informed participation in decision-making processes. As a marine scientist, Rosa Maria has experience in shark conservation, artisanal fisheries, and marine biodiversity monitoring. She is driven by a strong belief in the value of interdisciplinary collaboration, and is passionate about using creative and inclusive approaches to make complex science more accessible and actionable, as well as supporting the strengthening of our collective relationship with the ocean.