Meet the Board

WISE Board

The Weaving Innovations for Sustained Ecosystems (WISE) Board

Highest Qualification
PhD in Social & Environmental Sustainability

Country
Portugal and Spain

Fisheries Socioeconomics & Coastal Governance

Biography
Cristina Pita is a Principal Researcher at the Institute of Marine Research, Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC) (Spain) and the University of Aveiro (Portugal). She has >25 years of research experience working in small-scale fisheries around the globe (especially in Europe, Africa and LAC), on issues related to aquatic food systems, fisheries markets, value chains, innovative market solutions, and seafood traceability. She has been involved in >30 international projects and contributed to >100 publications on these topics. She is also an expert on socioeconomics of fisheries for the UN-WOA, where she took part in the writing of three chapters (small-scale fishing, seafood processing, and trade), chair of the working group on social dimensions (WGSOCIAL) at the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and part of the Management Committee of the COST Action RethinkBlue. (https://rethinkblue.eu/).

ORCID

The WISE Board

The Weaving Innovations for Sustained Ecosystems (WISE) Board is a SEA4FUTURE's strategic advisory board, bringing together up to ten internationally recognised experts to strengthen the project's scientific excellence, stakeholder engagement and real-world impact.

By providing independent advice, facilitating knowledge exchange and connecting the consortium with key end users and decision-makers, the Board supports the co-design, dissemination and uptake of innovative solutions for sustainable Mediterranean fisheries.

Objectives

The WISE Board provides independent strategic advice to strengthen SEA4FUTURE's scientific quality, stakeholder engagement and long-term impact, supporting the successful implementation and uptake of project outcomes.

Scientific Excellence

Bringing together internationally recognised experts in marine ecology, fisheries, governance, conservation and innovation, the Board offers multidisciplinary expertise to guide the project's scientific and technical developments.

Societal Impact

The Board promotes knowledge exchange between science, industry, policymakers and coastal communities, helping ensure that SEA4FUTURE solutions are relevant, applicable and responsive to real societal needs.

Ethics & Inclusion

The WISE Board supports transparent, evidence-based and inclusive decision-making, encouraging collaboration across disciplines, sectors and countries while fostering responsible and sustainable ocean stewardship.