PML’s Dr Victor Martinez-Vicente selected Coordinating Lead Author in major new global biodiversity assessment

The global assessment will support national and global efforts to monitor biodiversity, nature’s contributions to people and the direct and underlying causes of the observed changes. It will also monitor the progress towards the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, providing information relevant to all biogeographic and oceanographic zones at all scales, from subnational to global.  

Dr. Victor Martinez-Vicente is a Bio-optical oceanographer within PML’s Earth Observation Science and Applications group, leading the research at PML on remote sensing detection of marine plastic debris pollution, harmful algal blooms and ocean Health and biodiversity related algorithms, with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA). He specialises in the optical properties of particles in the aquatic environment – including oceanic, coastal and inland water bodies – to pioneer new multidisciplinary remote sensing applications for ocean colour data, with a view to understand and monitor ocean health in the context of global change. 

Following the UK Government nomination of Dr Martinez-Vicente was selected to serve as a Coordinating Lead Author by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) an independent intergovernmental body established in 2012 by 94 Governments. The urgent need for better capacity to monitor biodiversity around the world has been identified by the 146 member States of IPBES as a priority to support national and global efforts to track progress towards the goals and targets of the Biodiversity Plan. 

Victor joined the recent IPBES first author’s meeting in Montreal, Canada, alongside other experts from across the globe with Anne Larigauderie, the IPBES Executive Secretary opening the meeting. Upon his return to the UK, he described the road ahead: 

“It was great to meet fellow lead authors last week and collectively get to grips with the assessment and timeline, we will be working closely together over the next two years.” 

Image: The first author meeting for the IPBES Monitoring Assessment in Montreal, Canada. There are around 100 experts from across the world invited as authors on the assessment. 

“As a whole, our work will include identifying the most effective means of monitoring global biodiversity, as well as assessing the current data on the many benefits people receive globally from biodiversity and the natural environment, and we will explore whether there are evidence gaps in this data.” 

“My role more specifically includes co-leading the writing tasks of one of the four chapters of the report, making sure that we develop a rigorous assessment incorporating the diverse range of expertise of the team, whilst remaining aligned with the overarching scope. All within a tight deadline schedule!” 

“Biodiversity loss is one of the most pressing issues of our generation, and this assessment holds the key to better inform policy and action for conservation. Understanding and combatting biodiversity loss is about far more than conservation, however. Biodiversity loss can affect the ways in which ecosystems function, their ability to support goods and services on which people depend, and the state of the planet on which our descendants will have to live.” 

The assessment is being conducted using a fast track approach, and will be completed in 2026 and considered by the IPBES Plenary at its 13th session. 

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