Jörn Oliver Schmidt

Jörn Oliver Schmidt serves as Director for Sustainable Aquatic Food Systems at WorldFish and holds dual academic appointments: Senior Research Fellow at Kiel University's Center for Ocean and Society (Germany) and Adjunct Professor at Dalhousie University's Marine Affairs Program (Canada). He recently completed a four-year term (2020-2024) as Chair of the Science Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), leading scientific oversight for North Atlantic marine research.

His research centers on sustainable aquatic food systems with emphasis on climate resilience in marine fisheries, integrated ecosystem assessments, and socio-cultural dimensions of ocean governance. He employs transdisciplinary approaches bridging natural and social sciences to address small-scale fisheries challenges, examining how empirical knowledge, cultural practices, and scientific evidence interact in adaptation strategies across West Africa and Nigeria. His work prioritizes stakeholder co-design in marine science for policy-relevant solutions.

Recent publications (2022-2023) reveal consistent focus on climate adaptation pathways in fisheries, bioeconomic modeling of subsidy impacts, and social network analysis of institutional collaborations within ICES. His scholarship spans environmental science, fisheries management, and sustainability policy, with strong applications for international ocean governance bodies.

Through leadership at WorldFish and ICES, Schmidt drives global collaborations on sustainable fisheries, emphasizing vulnerable community engagement and evidence-based policy frameworks for achieving equitable ocean futures. His initiatives integrate climate science with socio-ecological resilience to advance food security in aquatic systems.