MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Aquatic Sciences Webinar | World Fisheries Day 2026

Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, USA ;Dr. Jie Cao is the Associate Professor of Department of Applied Ecology in North Carolina State University. Cao’s research is in the general area of quantitative fisheries ecology with an emphasis on population dynamics and ecosystem modeling. He is most interested in ecologically motivated and statistically innovative research that may improve science-based natural resource management. Specifically, Cao evaluates and develops quantitative techniques for assessing the past and current status of fish and invertebrate populations. This includes optimizing sampling schemes; developing more biologically realistic assessment models; estimating biological processes that vary over space and time; evaluating management strategies; and exploring how to manage marine populations in the face of climate change. The results are used to inform management decision making in US and international marine management bodies. As such, Cao works closely with state, federal and international natural resource agencies.

Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy ;Dr. Yari Vecchio is the Assistant Professor at the Department of Veterinary Medical Science. In 2023 PhD in Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Use of Mediterranean Sea Fishery and Biological Resources (FishMed-PhD) course at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. In 2019 he carried out a research grant funded on Horizon 2020. The research interests are aimed in particular at deepening the linking between cognitive sphere and innovation adoption in aquaculture and agri-food sector. Otherwise, his research focuses on the study of the agri-food and aquaculture system from an economic point of view, with particular interest to statistical methodologies. He is involved in national and international research projects and collaborates with several international institutes including Ciheam. Member of the Scientific Technical Committee of Re Soil Foundation.

French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research,Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel ;Dr. Dina Zilberg is a Full Professor of The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands and member of The Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change. Research efforts at her laboratory address various topics related to fish diseases and aquatic animal health. She works with a wide range of ornamental and food fish species, with emphasis on ornamental fish.

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia ;Dr. Ana Gavrilovic is a full professor in University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture. For the last twenty years she has been working as a veterinarian in aquaculture and all my activities are related to aquaculture health management, including the application of all preventive measures as well as the design of breeding systems that will enable this. Her research interest includes bioreactors and applied microbiology for environmental engineering; sustainable production; aquaculture/ Sustainable aquaculture production; aquatic animals health management, welfare and meat quality.