Story

PML scientist announced as new Chair of intergovernmental working group

24 January 2025

We are thrilled to share the news that Dr Sevrine Sailley, Ecosystem Modeller at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), has been appointed Chair for the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group on Integrative, Physical-biological and Ecosystem Modelling (WGIPEM).

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is the world’s oldest intergovernmental science organization, providing impartial evidence on the state and sustainable use of our seas and oceans. ICES represents a network of nearly 6000 scientists from over 700 marine institutes in 20 member countries and beyond.

Sevrine joined PML in 2013, following her Post-doc at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (USA) and PhD hosted by Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany) and the University of East Anglia (UK), which focused on microzooplankton grazing and growth rate, and their representation in global ecosystem models.

Since joining PML, Sevrine’s work has continued to focus on the representation of zooplankton in ecosystem models, as well as estimating future fish biomass under a changing climate, marine food web dynamics and polar science.

The ICES appointment is for 3 years and Sevrine will join the three existing Working Group Chairs tasked with coordinating the 100+ members of WGIPEM.

WGIPEM was set up to advance coupled physical-biological and ecosystem modelling. The Working Group carries out its modelling work by sharing and discussing simulation results, identifying gaps in knowledge in these modelling activities, and recommending and performing activities to improve model performance.

An important part of the work is the continued development of end-to-end ecosystem models that incorporate ecological, economic, and social science. The group forms an important link between the biophysical modelling community, that produces estimates of ecosystem components, and the managers charged with giving advice on the status of those systems and their resources.

Dr Sevrine Sailley commented on the appointment:

“I’m thrilled to take on this position and carry on the work that goes on in the WGIPEM. This group is focusing on ongoing and new development and uses of ecosystem models, with great members. The group meeting is always a nice event, and I hope to do justice to what the past chairs have achieved.”

Share this news story