Keynote Speakers

We are excited to bring you two dynamic keynote speakers this year! Each speaker will give us their perspectives on celebrating, uplifting, and empowering current and future generations of women and gender-diverse folks in aquaculture. Read more about our speakers below.

Dr. Megan Davis

Research Professor, Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Dr. Megan Davis

For more than 40-years Dr. Megan Davis, Research Professor and lead for FAU’s Harbor Branch Queen Conch Lab, has been studying the queen conch life cycle and innovating ways to save the species. She has become the world’s foremost expert on queen conch aquaculture, or farming, and has designed, implemented, and operated community-based queen conch hatcheries throughout the Caribbean. Her philosophy is to work in the communities with the fisherfolk and citizens to empower them to grow their own conch for restoration and conservation. Her work enhances the blue economy by providing jobs for local staff and diversified incomes for fisherfolk. In addition, she proposes that restoration of this keystone herbivore into seagrass habitats will assist with carbon sequestration, aiding in important international climate change mitigation efforts. Dr. Davis and her team are currently involved in projects in Florida, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Jamaica and several other Caribbean nations. More than ever, communities are seeking her knowledge as a way to bring a solution to the escalating species decline. 

Imani Black

CEO and Founder, Minorities in Aquaculture

Imani Black

Imani Black was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Chestertown. She has always had a passion for restoration and conservation since she was a young girl and found great interest in the rapidly growing shellfish aquaculture industry, after completing an aquaculture training program at Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2016. Since then, Imani has worked on oyster farms, nurseries and hatcheries along the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland. From 2018 to 2020, she was the Assistant Hatchery Manager for Hoopers Island Oyster Company, having the opportunity to work in all aspects of shellfish growout.

Through her love for her career, Imani founded Minorities In Aquaculture, a nonprofit organization that strives to empower and support the underrepresented demographics (i.e women of color, women in general, men of color, etc) in the aquaculture industry by providing opportunities such as paid internship, technical skills training and career development resources. Over the last 2 years, MIA has focused its efforts and resources toward supporting women of color in their aquaculture careers, starting with Imani’s demographic which is also least engaged in this space. Overall, Minorities In Aquaculture is recognized as an impactful network focused on sustainable seafood education, aquaculture workforce development, and active engagement approaches not only for the minorities in aquaculture, but the industry as a whole in its effort towards a more diverse aquaculture field.

In addition to developing the nonprofit, Imani is also pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science researching the historical coastal communities of color in commercial fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay, while highlighting the approaches and methods toward active minority engagement and participation in coastal regions.

Program Details

Presentations

Oral and poster presentations are welcome from all attendees on either a research topic, career perspectives, or highlights of your “day in the life”. All attendees can opt-in to give a presentation during registration. Specific instructions will be sent for these presentations at a later date, but some basic guidelines are below. Once you register and opt-in, a submission form will be sent to you. All abstract submissions will be due no later than August 8, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST.

Photo and Film Contest

As stakeholders in the aquaculture industry, we want to see snapshots of your experiences as Women of the Water!  We invite our attendees to submit up to 5 photographs or 2 short films that showcase women and gender minorities in the field, aquacultured species, and daily life working in aquaculture. Submissions will be displayed during the conference. We will be holding a crowd-sourced contest where attendees can vote on their favorite photos and films in a variety of categories. Once you register and opt-in, a submission form will be sent to you. All film and video submissions will be due no later than August 8, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST.

Roundtable Discussions

Discussion serves as an integral part of our conference experience. Led by a facilitator, groups of attendees representing various realms of aquaculture will be able to gain insights and greater understanding of challenges, opportunities, and perceptions within the industry. Each roundtable has been carefully designed with questions and worksheets to help facilitate meaningful discourse.

Discussion topics will focus on challenges and opportunities for the industry at large as well as for women, gender-diverse folks, and underrepresented communities in aquaculture. All attendees are encouraged to share their honest perspectives and lived experience as part of these discussions. ​

Summary points from the conference roundtables may be used to develop a published proceedings document. Attendees can volunteer to facilitate a round-table discussion by opting in during registration.

Workshops

Workshops will provide practical knowledge, training, and professional development on a variety of themes. Specific workshop topics will be confirmed closer to the conference date; attendees can select all workshop topics that they are interested in or volunteer to lead a workshop on a particular topic during registration.

2023 Conference Program Cover
WoW 2023 Conference Program
2023 Final Report Cover
WoW 2023 Final Report

Program Details

Oral Presentations

Oral presentations will serve to guide topics of conversation at the conference and should highlight at least one of the guiding themes of the meeting: research, community, collaboration, and celebration. Presentations will be 15 minutes long (12 minutes + 3 minutes for questions) and must be accessible to a general audience (minimal jargon, please!). Attendees from any stakeholder group are eligible to submit abstracts for this presentation type. Presentations selected for this format will be chosen by the steering committee following abstract submission. 

PowerPoint Slide Template

Please feel free to download and use the Women of the Water PowerPoint slide template for your presentations. This is optional for all presenters. 

Poster Presentations

Poster presentations will serve to share the breadth of knowledge, experience, and future directions of the aquaculture industry. These presentations help to facilitate conversation between stakeholder groups and may highlight potential collaborations. Posters should not exceed 36 x 48 inches (portrait or landscape). Attendees from any stakeholder group are eligible to submit abstracts for this presentation type. Abstract submissions must be written accessibly for a general audience. 

Student Presentation Judging

Students who present at the conference are able to opt-in for presentation judging when they submit their abstract. All attendees at the conference, except students, may volunteer to be judges by opting in during registration. 

2023 Steering Committee

The following Women of the Water are excited to bring this conference experience to life! Click on any of the shells below to learn more about each of this year’s steering committee members.

Blair Morrison (she/her)

Co-Director

Dr. Marcy Cockrell (she/her)

Co-Director

Dr. Nicole Rhody

Member

Dr. Kevan Main

Member

Kaitlyn Theberge (she/her)

Member

Portia Sapp

Member

Dr. Laura Tiu (she/her)

Member

Hayley Lemoine (she/her)

Member

Nicole Martin

Member

Sharon McBreen

Member

Maeesha Saeed (she/her)

Member

Natalie Lord (she/her)

Member

Questions or comments? Email us at womenofthewater.conference@gmail.com

Join our Women of the Water Network on the Aquaculture Information Exchange

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Blair Morrison (she/her), Co-Director

Science and Monitoring Program Lead, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

Blair currently serves as the Science and Monitoring Program Lead for the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. In this role, she coordinates with scientists and stakeholders on the long-term monitoring and evaluation of ecosystems throughout watersheds of Mobile Bay. Born as a passion project from her science policy fellowship with the National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program and the FDACS Division of Aquaculture in 2022, she is so thrilled to see the second year of Women of the Water come to fruition!

Although she hails from the landlocked hills of Kentucky, Blair has always wanted to be a marine scientist. This passion for the ocean brought her to Alabama, where she graduated with a B.S. in Marine Science/Biology from the University of Alabama (2018) and an M.S. in Marine Sciences from the University of South Alabama (2021). Although her research has taken place over a variety of localities and a wide array of study organisms, Blair’s work features the central themes of estuaries, disturbance, water quality, and climate change. Outside of the workplace, she enjoys hiking, birdwatching, cooking, crafting, taking care of far too many plants, and spoiling her pet turtle, Freddy

Dr. Marcy Cockrell (she/her), Co-Director

Science Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture

Dr. Cockrell is a marine biologist, science communicator, environmental educator, and community organizer. Her work focuses broadly on understanding how changing regulations impact marine resources as well as the people living and working in coastal communities. Throughout her career, Dr. Cockrell has focused on using science to empower communities, especially young women and girls, and strives to bring science into regulatory and policy decision-making for ocean and coastal management challenges. She has worked diligently to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in STEM through a range of personal and professional activities, including serving as a mentor for the USF Oceanography Camp for Girls, being an active member of the National Science Policy Network’s DEI committee, and being a founding member of the Women of the Water conference and professional network. She is excited to once again be serving as Co-Director for this year’s Women of the Water conference.

Dr. Cockrell earned her Ph.D. in marine science from the University of South Florida in 2018, was a National Academies Gulf Research Program Science Policy Fellow from 2018-2019, worked for the Florida Division of Aquaculture from 2019-2022, and now works as the Science for Management Coordinator with the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture. She is a New Jersey native and enjoys hiking, gardening, baking, playing volleyball, and spending time with her husband and two cats. You can learn more about her work and connect through LinkedIn.

Dr. Nicole Rhody

Program Manager & Senior Scientist, Mote Marine Lab and Aquaculture Park

Dr. Nicole Rhody joined Mote Marine Laboratory’s staff in 2001 and is part of Mote’s Directorate of Fisheries & Aquaculture. Dr. Rhody’s work at Mote Aquaculture Research Park focuses on the sustainable production of high-value marine finfish for both land-based and offshore aquaculture systems. Current research topics include work related to improving fish culture technologies and optimizing broodstock management protocols that ensure the production of high quality eggs and larvae. Additional research activities cover a range of topics such as finfish reproductive physiology, biological rhythms, endocrinology of growth and reproduction, genetics in aquaculture, gonadal morphology, larviculture, zooplankton and phytoplankton culture. Rhody received her doctorate in Fish Reproductive Biology and Physiology at the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling, Scotland UK.

Dr. Kevan Main

Senior Scientist Emeritus, Mote Marine Lab and Aquaculture Park

Dr. Kevan Main served on the 2022 steering committee for Women of the Water (WOW), which took place at Mote Marine Laboratory in June 2022 and she is excited to be a part of the 2023 WOW steering committee. Dr. Main led Mote’s aquaculture research programs from 2001-2022 and was the Director of Mote’s 200-acre field station, Mote Aquaculture Research Park, in eastern Sarasota County. She retired from Mote in 2023 and is now an Emeritus Senior Scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory. Dr. Main is a lifetime member of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), having served on the Board of Directors and as President in 2012-2013. She continues to work closely with the WAS African Chapter to help the Board and members grow the African Chapter. Dr. Main is Vice Chairperson of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) Technical Advisory Group. ASC has developed certification standards that promote responsible seafood farming to help feed the world’s population. Her research interests are in developing sustainable aquaculture methods to produce marine fish, sturgeon, shrimp, abalone, and corals through aquaculture. Dr. Main received her Ph.D. from Florida State University and has more than 30 years of experience in the aquaculture of tropical and subtropical fish and invertebrates from around the world. She has published seven books and more than 98 peer-reviewed publications and has traveled to aquaculture facilities throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. In 2016, Dr. Main was recognized as a “White House Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood” and in 2023, she received the National Aquaculture Association Joseph P. McCraren Award for outstanding contributions in promoting the growth of aquaculture.

Kaitlyn Theberge (she/her)

Knauss Fellow, Seafood Resources, National Sea Grant

Kaitlyn Theberge is the 2023 Seafood Resources Knauss Fellow at the National Sea Grant Office where she is conducting a needs assessment for aquaculture-related programs at Minority Serving Institutions. Before the fellowship, Kaitlyn completed a Master of Science degree in Fish & Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech. Here she developed population dynamics models testing the effects of management decisions on egg production and adult size distribution by sex of American and European lobsters. Between her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Kaitlyn has held numerous positions leading to experience in oyster farming, ornamental fish aquaculture, marine science education, GIS mapping, and more. When she isn’t diving into the sustainable seafood world, Kaitlyn enjoys socializing her dog and turning her home office into a potted garden.

Portia Sapp

Division Director, FDACS Division of Aquaculture

Portia Sapp joined the Department in October 2005 as an Environmental Supervisor in the Aquaculture Certification and Best Management Practices program in the Bartow field office and was promoted to her current position of Director of the Division of Aquaculture in January 2019. Portia chairs the FDACS Science Advisory Workgroup (SAW) and is the head of the Ag in Education subgroup within SAW. Prior to working for state government, she worked conducting mass spectrometry for volatile organic compounds in an aquatic ecotoxicology laboratory and managed livestock for Johns Hopkins University. She earned her Master of Science from Towson University in Maryland specializing in fish physiology and ecology. She serves on the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Molluscan Shellfish Subcommittee, the Florida Farm Bureau Aquaculture Advisory Committee, the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative Community Advisory Board and the Pensacola Bay System Stakeholder Working Group.

Dr. Laura Tiu (she/her)

Sea Grant Extension Director, Walton County

Dr. Tiu is a Marine Science Extension Agent with the University of Florida Sea Grant. Her areas of expertise include aquaculture, technology transfer, industry development and environmental education. Signature projects include leadership of a state-wide aquaponics program and sustainable development of offshore aquaculture. She supports the Florida Micro-plastic Awareness Project and the Florida-friendly Fishing Gide programs, teaches Florida Master Naturalist courses, and promotes environmental awareness through eco-tours, museum displays, and lectures in the panhandle of Florida. In her free time, Laura loves to hang out at the beach, kayak and travel.

Hayley Lemoine (she/her)

Florida State University PhD candidate, Florida Sea Grant Graduate Student Fellow

Hayley Lemoine is a PhD candidate in the Geography Department at Florida State University and a Florida Sea Grant Aquaculture Communications and Outreach Graduate Student Fellow. She is interested in the social and ecological dynamics of seafood systems. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on livelihood diversification and stakeholder perceptions in aquaculture. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Hayley earned a Master of Environmental Management degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Vassar College.

Nicole Martin

Biologist, Shellfish and Aquaculture Policy Branch, Food & Drug Administration

Nicole Martin is a biologist with the FDA/CFSAN/Office of Food Safety/Division of Seafood Safety, working in the Shellfish and Aquaculture Policy Branch. Her work with the FDA includes: the development of regulatory partnership agreements with foreign countries interested in formal agreements for importing safe aquaculture food products to the United States; development of a federal and foreign waters HAB biotoxin geodatabase; and participation in the FDA national shellfish team working with the ISSC. Prior to joining the FDA, Nicole worked for FDACS Division of Aquaculture, as the program manager for the Shellfish Processing Plant Compliance and Inspection Program and as the state Shellfish Standardization Officer. In her tenure there, she worked on shellfish related illness investigations and multi-state outbreak coordination, training FDACS and other agency inspectors on shellfish regulations, and worked as a member of the State Agricultural Response Team (SART) assisting with staffing the state EOC during natural disasters. Leading into working in shellfish food safety and regulation, Nicole was a field biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife for 3 years, conducting oyster health and population assessments and habitat restoration work in Apalachicola Bay, FL.

While attending Jacksonville University, Nicole worked on hard-bottom reef population surveys and as a lab manager, attaining a B.S. in Marine Science, with a focus on benthic and nearshore ecology. Following graduation she worked as an intern with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab, focusing on oyster reef and seagrass habitat restoration, water quality monitoring and oyster reef habitat population assessments for biodiversity. Nicole also completed graduated course work in Environmental Sciences, with a marine focus, at Florida Gulf Coast University. While attending FGCU, she worked on research related to oyster population assessments throughout southeast Florida, early and late life stage toxicity exposure studies with oil and dispersants and red tide ELISA testing for shellfish meats.

Sharon McBreen

Senior Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Sharon is an ocean conservation advocate and fisheries and aquaculture policy expert, with decades of experience collaborating with industry, government agencies, and managers to advance the sustainability of our marine resources. In her 12 years at The Pew Charitable Trusts, she specialized in strategy development, stakeholder engagement, coalition building, advocacy, and public outreach. As part of her role at Pew as a senior officer, she participated on a team identifying potential opportunities to expand shellfish and seaweed aquaculture. Currently, she is a consulting senior advisor for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, supporting its Global Ocean Conservation team and its Seafood Watch program. Sharon is interested in developing restorative aquaculture policies and systems to expand the role of sustainable ocean farming to improve marine ecosystems. Before joining Pew, Sharon was a reporter and editor at The Orlando Sentinel newspaper. She has a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida. Her other interests include hiking, kayaking, fishing, and pub trivia.

Maeesha Saeed (she/her)

Program Officer, National Academies Gulf Research Program

Maeesha Saeed is a Program Officer for the Board on Gulf Education and Engagement within the GRP Division. She is responsible for coordinating the fellowship programs, enhancing and managing the alumni engagement strategies, and supporting evaluation efforts within the board. Before joining the National Academies, she was the Director of Research, Evaluation and Supportive Programs for a non-profit based in D.C. As part of her role, she provided programmatic and operational oversight to social services programs and supported evaluation efforts and grants management at the organization. As a licensed social worker, she also managed the internship program at the organization and supervised BSW and MSW students as their field instructor. Ms. Saeed holds a MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Human Development and Social Relations from Earlham College. Her passion for social work, community engagement and capacity building work stems from her experience working on community outreach and disaster-management efforts in the Maldives after the 2004 Tsunami.

Natalie Lord (she/her)

Email contact: natalie.lord@noaa.gov

Natalie Lord is a 2023 Knauss Fellow in the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program working as the Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement Fellow. Natalie is currently earning her doctorate from the University of New Hampshire in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. She received her MS from the University of New Hampshire and her research focused on the intersection of sustainable marine food systems and gender equity for the aquaculture industry of New England. Natalie has devoted her career to assisting coastal communities with the sustainable management of their marine resources and is excited to engage with the ocean acidification community during her Knauss fellowship. Natalie grew up on the coast of Maine and enjoys spending time with her family and friends in the great outdoors.