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Pablo Caballero Javierre is currently Head of the Nature Conservation Service of Pontevedra (Spain) as well as Head of its Biodiversity Section (Xunta de Galicia). He is also associate professor at the Forestry Engineering School of Pontevedra, from the University of Vigo (Spain). He works on practical aspects of inland fisheries management and the conservation and recovery of threatened river fish species, mainly migratory salmonids: Atlantic salmon and sea trout.

His previous research focused on wild populations of river fish in Galicia (Spain), with special interest in salmonids. He has participated in several congresses, contributed to over 24 publications in journals and participated in 15 books, including “Inventario Piscícola de los Ríos de Galicia, (1999)” and “Atlas de los Ríos Salmoneros de la Península Ibérica, (2010)”. His PhD by the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) researched the biology of the anadromous form of the common trout, Salmo trutta, in Galicia.

Sofia (Sonia) Consuegra del Olmo is Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at Swansea University (UK) and Distinguished Researcher at IIM-CSIC Vigo (Spain), where she leads the OLDSALMO project funded by the ATRAE programme of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. After her degree, she carried post-doctoral work at the Institute of Zoology (London) and at the University of St Andrews (UK), before obtaining a lectureship at Aberystwyth University (UK). She then moved to Swansea University where she became a full Professor. Her main areas of expertise are on evolutionary ecology, conservation genetics/omics, fisheries and aquaculture, and aquatic invasive species. Some of her current projects include testing temporal genomic shifts in exploited fish populations using ancient and environmental DNA (OLDSALMO), identifying long lasting epigenetic biomarkers for prognosis of farmed fish performance (funded by the Royal Society in collaboration with Benchmark Genetics), assessing the potential of epigenetic and microbiome programming for fish disease and stress resistance (Cure4Aqua, funded by Horizon Europe) and investigating the role of epigenetic markers on the evolution of sex-determination in vertebrates (EpiSex, funded by The Leverhulme Trust).

Sofia holds a BSc (Biology, First class) from University of Oviedo (Spain) and a PhD in Evolutionary Genetics from the University of Cantabria, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PGCTHE) from Aberystwyth University (UK).

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Guillermo Giannico is currently a Professor and Fisheries Extension Specialist at the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences of Oregon State University (USA). As part of his outreach responsibilities, Dr. Giannico delivers educational services about freshwater ecology, fish habitat restoration, and watershed management-related issues to watershed restoration organizations, recreational fishing clubs, government agencies (local, state and federal), and Tribal governments. 

He holds a Bsc in Ecology from the National University of La Plata (Argentina), a MSc in Biology from the University of Victoria (Canada) and a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies from the University of British Columbia (Canada).

Jesse O’Hanley is a Professor of Environmental Systems Management and the Interim Dean for Kent Business School, University of Kent (UK). Prof O’Hanley’s research focuses on the development and application of optimisation and simulation techniques to environmental management, facility location, transportation and logistics.

He has authored over 70 articles and other publications covering a wide range of theoretical and applied topics, much of it highly interdisciplinary in nature. Recent and ongoing research on include river connectivity enhancement, nature reserve selection, robust facility network design, and managing vehicle/passenger flows at ports and train stations have appeared in leading field journals in operational research and environmental management. Prof O’Hanley has carried out advisory and consultancy work for various government agencies and NGOs on the development and application of optimisation-based approaches for river infrastructure mitigation and placement. This includes the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Port of Dover, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy. He is the 2015 winner of the EURO Excellence in recognition for developing a state-of-the-art decision support tool called OptiPass, which is being used in California, the Pacific Northwest, and other locations to plan on-the-ground river connectivity restoration actions.

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Paulo Branco is a Researcher and Professor at the Institute of Agriculture (ISA) of the University of Lisboa (Portugal) and Executive Director of the Associate Laboratory TERRA. His research has contributed to projects on river restoration and biodiversity management, including, more recently, the Dammed Fish and the MERLIN projects. He leads RivEco at ISA, where he works with colleagues to develop tools like RivConnect and RivTool to support conservation planning. His work has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, participation in research networks, and involvement in international restoration efforts. Beyond research and teaching, he is involved in policy advisory roles, scientific networks, and editorial activities, aiming to support the connection between science, conservation, and decision-making.

He holds a PhD in Forest Engineering and Natural Resources from the University of Lisboa (Portugal), where he focused on quantifying river connectivity and developing conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems.

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Josu Elso Huarte works for the Regional Government of Navarra (Spain) at the public company GAN-NIK, improving river ecosystems with his expertise in river restoration and biodiversity conservation, focusing on the conservation and recovery of Atlantic salmon. He has participated in more than 80 publications, including indexed articles, articles in specialised media, book chapters, conference proceedings, technical reports and other publications. During his career, he has implemented several European Directives (Habitat and Birds Directives, WFD, Flood Risk Directive, Eel Regulation, Nature Restoration Law, etc.) and contributed to the preparation and management of up to 11 European Funded projects. As a freelance environmental consultant, he has also been evaluator of LIFE, ERASMUS and H2020 project proposals for the European Commission. He has participated in the development of the Spanish National River Restoration Strategy (2007) and has been member of the Organizing Committee of the Iberian River Restoration Congress (RESTAURARIOS) in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. He is one of the founders of the Iberian Centre for River Restoration (CIREF) and a board member since 2009. He has also been a board member of European Centre for River Restoration (ECRR) between 2009 and 2011 and Wetlands International European Association (2013-2015).

He holds a BSc in Biology (Zoology) from the University of Navarra (Spain) and a PhD with honors from University College Cork (Ireland) through a Marie Curie research contract in 2000.