COMMITTEE

Dr. Mustapha MAATOUK has been a Professor at the FST of Tangier- Abdelmalek Essaadi University since 1996. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership positions, including two terms as head of  Department (2000 and 2004). Currently, he serves as the Director of the Research and Development Laboratory in Applied Geosciences (since 2023), Head of the Geomatics, Remote Sensing, and Cartography team (since 2022), and an affiliated Expert at CNRST (2023-2026). He is also responsible for the Master's program in Coastal Sciences: Multidisciplinary Approach (2022-2025). Additionally, he has been involved in numerous committees and commissions, such as serving as a member of a selection committee for senior positions for the Ministry of National Territory Planning, Land Planning, Housing, and City Policy in 2020, and as a member of the committee responsible for evaluating candidates and development projects for the position of Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of Tetouan in 2022. He has been an elected member of the thesis committee at CED STSM, UAE since 2023 and has been the President of the association "E-learning and Engineering Sciences" since 2022.
Throughout his professional journey, Professor MAATOUK has focused his work and research on promoting and utilizing spatial technologies, particularly remote sensing and GIS, in the field of natural hazards. He has supervised around twenty doctoral students, published hundreds of articles and specialized books, and organized several national and international scientific events.

Dr. Cherifi Ouafa has been a full university professor and researcher since 1995, holding a doctorat degree from Cadi Ayyad University. She specializes in the study of freshwater and marine water quality, as well as the biodiversity of micro- and macroalgae. After teaching at the Faculty of Sciences in Eljadida for 3 years, she later joined the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques in Marrakech, where she continues to serve as a university professor. Her expertise encompasses phycology, ecophysiology, and the biodiversity of seaweeds and freshwater phytoplankton. Additionally, she focuses on the use of algae in agroecology, phytoremediation, and the valorization of algal biomass in food and cosmetics. Her research and contributions have been widely recognized through articles published in renowned
international journals (30 articles). She is an inspiring figure in the field of scientific research, mentoring and inspiring future generations of researchers (more than 50). Additionally, she is reviewer in 4 scientific journals.
She has received recognition for her work in 2021 as a teacher and awarded in 2022 as a startup in the frame of Hackathon water show. 

Dr. Mostafa LAYACHI works as a Research Director at the National Institute of Fisheries Research INRH-Morocco. He obtained his PhD in Marine Biology and Environment, from the Mohammed 1st University, Faculty of Sciences-Oujda, and a DESA in Marine Environment, Quality, and Valorization of Fisheries Resources from Chouaib Doukkali University, Faculty of Sciences - El Jadida. With over 20 years of professional experience at INRH (Dakhla, Nador), he was part of several INRH research laboratories in Dakhla and Nador and was appointed Head of the Marine Environment Quality, Surveillance and Monitoring laboratory at the INRH Regional Center in Nador from 2010 to 2020. Dr. LAYACHI has contributed to several research projects on marine habitats in the Moroccan Mediterranean, aquaculture planning, and integrated coastal zone management. Dr. LAYACHI has served as a co-director for many doctoral theses and has supervised numerous Master's and Bachelor's degree projects. Dr. LAYACHI is an associate member of the Marchica Lagoon Observatory Laboratory at the FPN and of the Applied Geosciences and Geology Engineering Research Team at the FSTH and has published many papers in Scopus indexed international journals and more than 13 scientific opinions on fisheries and the exploitation of marine resources and the marine environment

Dr. Chédia Jabeur is currently an Associate Professor at the Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir-Tunisia since 2015. With 24 years of experience in higher education and scientific research, primarily in marine Biology, she has 39 scientific publications and has supervised over 70 research topics. Dr. Jabeur holds a PhD in marine biology from the University of Western Brittany in Brest (France), following her engineering degree in agronomy (specializing in fisheries) from the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia. She has worked at the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM) center in Sfax as a contractual researcher. Her research focuses on the assessment of exploited aquatic animal stocks and the welfare of farmed aquatic animals in relation to the environment.

Dr. Touria Ould Bellahcen has PhD in Biology specializing in algal biotechnology, water sciences, and environmental studies from Ibn Tofail University in Kénitra and the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary in Rabat. Currently, a professor in Hassan II University in Casablanca , Department of Biology at the Faculty of Sciences -Ain Chock. She is known for her research on biodiversity and the valorization of algae (micro and macroalgae) in pharmaceutical, environmental, and agronomic fields. Her diverse background and insatiable curiosity have enabled her to acquire a wide range of expertise in algology. 
Honored with the Lalla Hasnaa Trophy for Sustainable Coastlines during the 4th edition in 2022, in the category of "protection and valorization of natural heritage," for her project «Valorization of marine algae drifted into the Moroccan coastline for organic agriculture."
She is currently leading a research project under the Morocco-Tunisia cooperation framework, focusing on the pharmacological potential and valorization of Moroccan and Tunisian macroalgae through a comparative analysis of their phytochemical composition and biological activities (2021-2023).
Inventor of a patent in 2016, publication number MA 37146 A1, for a "process for treating domestic wastewater through the cultivation and production of Spirulina platensis”.Additionally, she authored a pedagogical book published by Editions Universitaires Européennes in 2016, titled "Valorization of wastewater for mass cultivation of Spirulina."
 

Dr. Daniela Lo Monaco currently works at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia-Italy. She is the Director of the laboratory "Ecopathological Section of the Wildlife-Hunting Observatory. She conducts research in Marine ecotoxicology, molecular biology and Genetics and is involved in topics related to food safety, Coastal water quality monitoring in bivalve production areas, and fisheries products pathology. Dr. Daniela has also participated in several research projects and published many papers in international journals

Dr. Atife Tuba works as the Marine Fish Hatchery Manager at The Trabzon Fisheries Research Institute-Turkey since 2014. Her research feilds revolve around the fish Reproductive biology, sperm quality, cryopreservation and turbot aquaculture among other research topics. She has participated in many national and international projects, she is the leader of the turbot aquaculture project and the person responsible for its production in the institut. She joind the scientific journal "Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences" in 2016 as a technical editor in 2016 and as the managing editor of "Aquaculture Studies" in 2019.  

Dr. Liudmyla Fihurska is an associate professor at the department of grain and animal feed technologies, Odesa National Academy of Food Technologies (ONAFT). She obtained her PhD in grain and food processing technologies from the ONAFT in 2013. With expertise spanning feed production, extrusion processes, quality assurance, and the utilization of food by-products, Fihurska has made significant contributions to the development of high-quality feeds for both aquatic and terrestrial animals. Fihurska's extensive involvement in international research projects, industry partnerships, and administrative activities further exemplifies her leadership and expertise in the domain. She has also taken part in many conferences, published several articles in internationnal journals, and got many patents in her field of research, thus helping shape the landscape of animal feed technologies.

Dr. Maryam El Bakali is an associate professor of Biology-Aquaculture at the Abdelmalek Essaadi University-Morocco. She obtained her PhD degree in “Environmental Biology- Aquaculture » from the Abdelmalek Essaadi University in collaboration with, Aquaculture Center, M'Diq INRH-Morocco, Ifremer-France and Cadiz University. Her Ph.D research aimed to study the biological aspects of Mullus surmuletus in Morocco. These aspects include feeding, reproduction biology, growth, lipid and reproduction in captivity. Her postdoctoral research objective was to detect Perkinsus spp in clams and Marteilia refringens in mussels. She has participated in many international projects (EU-funded projects). She acquired and enhanced a vast array of technical skills through her mobilities to many international universities and laboratories. 
Her current research fields revolve around the integrated multitrophic Aquaculture, Nutrition and sustainable food production systems , Marine Biology , genetic improuvent by selective breeding of Tilapia and histopathology. Prof. Maryam El Bakali published her work in international journals and represented her university in many scientific conferences and workshops. Besides, she is currently a reviewer for many international research journals and member of 4 international scientific groups. Prof Maryam El Bakali has supervised over 60 research topics (Master and PhD Students) related to the Aquaculture and Marine Biology. 

Dr. Hind Majdoubi holds a doctorate in law from Hassan II University in Casablanca and is currently a professor of law at Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra, Morocco. She conducts many researches in the field of environmental protection against waste and pollution. She has studied many legal aspects of the implementation in Morocco of the extended producer responsibility within the circular economy. She also made many researches to achieve the sustainable development from theory to reality.
Since 2020, she has joined the scientific committee of the scientific journal "La Revue Marocaine de l'Environnement".

Dr. Sachinandan Dutta currently works as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Marine Science and Fisheries, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, where he teaches Fisheries Management. His main research goal is to understand the fisheries impacts on the ecosystem. He accepted his PhD degree in ecosystem modelling for fisheries management from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. He was awarded UNESCO
MAB Young Scientists Awards for 2022 from Oman. He is also serving as an International Sectoral Expert in Fisheries and Marine Resources, UNIDO

Dr. Sherifat Adegbesan is a renowned Aquaculture and Fisheries Specialist with over 13 years experience working with the Government on the development of the Fisheries Sector (Nigeria). She possessed a BSc in Applied Zoology, Masters in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management and a Ph.D in Fish Nutrition. She is currently undergoing her Fellowship program on Gender Responsive Agriculture System Policy, GRASP.
She's an internationally trained Aquaculture specialist. She has attended numerous conferences and workshop both local and international. She is a prolific writer in Aquaculture and Fisheries. She is currently the Head of Department, Department of Fisheries Technology Edo state college of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Iguoriakhi, and Vice Chairman Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON).

Dr. NOUREDDIN BOUAYAD is Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Morocco. He obtained his doctorate in “Applied Biology” at Abdelmalek Essaadi University in collaboration with the Biological Research Center (Madrid-Spain). His doctoral research focused on the effects of medicinal plant extracts on a stored food pest. He has taken part in numerous international projects (EU-funded projects). 
His current areas of research focus on natural essential oils and their extraction, testing the effects of these oils on several developmental parameters and the physiology of stored food pests for environmentally-friendly biological control. BOUAYAD NOUREDDIN has published his work in international journals. He is also currently a reviewer for a number of international research journals. He has supervised a number of research projects (Master's and PhD students) in biochemistry and biological control.