May 5, 2026
Dr. Guillermo Ortuño Crespo is a marine applied ecologist with over a decade of international experience in marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, focusing on governance and management in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Rollins College and Duke University, and a Master of Science in Ecosystem-Based Management from the University of St Andrews. He completed his PhD in Marine Science and Conservation at Duke University, where his research addressed governance and scientific challenges in high seas fisheries and biodiversity conservation. His work engaged closely with negotiations of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement since 2015, contributing over a dozen policy briefs for government delegations and peer-reviewed research on ecological connectivity and spatial management.
Following his PhD, Guillermo was a postdoctoral fellow at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, collaborating with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) on spatial management to reduce bycatch, and contributing to SeaBOS, an initiative involving major global seafood corporations to improve environmental and social practices.
He is currently an independent scientific consultant and Co-Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas High Seas Specialist Group, where he supports the development of scientific and technical foundations for implementing area-based management tools under the BBNJ Agreement. He also serves as Senior Advisor to the Towards an International Platform for Ocean Sustainability initiative.
In addition, he is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, supervising master’s students, and leads a Bezos Earth Fund–supported project through the MigraMar network to improve fisheries management across Central and South America.
His current work focuses on advancing the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and strengthening governance frameworks for international fisheries in the face of growing overfishing pressures.