Closing a Chapter: Reflecting on ICES Strategic Initiative on the Integration of Early Career Scientists

Alina Madita Wieczorek

As my term as co-chair of the ICES Strategic Initiative on the Integration of Early Career Scientists (SIIECS) comes to a close, I’ve been feeling a mix of pride, gratitude, and excitement for what lies ahead both for me and for the initiative.

What started as a simple idea in the middle of COVID-19 lockdown to make ICES more welcoming, visible, and accessible to early career scientists (ECS) has grown into something much larger than I imagined: a vibrant, supportive community that spans disciplines, countries, and career stages.

When we launched SIIECS, the goal was to listen to ECS voices and create space for their ideas, questions, and ambitions within ICES. Over the years, we’ve worked together to bring those ideas to life. My personal highlights included:

  • Creating space for DEI conversations with a dedicated theme session at the 2023 ICES Annual Science Conference,
  • Establishing an ECS keynote speaker role at ASC (now a regular feature!),
  • Co-organising the InterDis23 summer school,
  • Representing ECS at scientific steering group meetings at ICES,
  • Or launching the “Rising Tides” special issue in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, a platform for ECS to share their views and concerns.

But beyond the projects and outcomes, the true heart of SIIECS has always been echanging with other early careers and building long-lasting connections and friendships. It’s been incredibly to see mine and others confidence grow as ECS from all over the world come together to support and learn from one another.

This year’s ICES ASC marked the end of my official role as co-chair and while it’s always a bit emotional to close a chapter, I feel excited to see what the new generation of SIIECS has in stall for us.

One of the most meaningful moments for me was receiving the ICES Service Award from my friend and new co-chair Marta Ferraro, who beautifully closed the 2024 ASC. It was a full-circle moment and a reminder of what SIIECS is all about: friendship and togetherness.

Receiving ICES Service Award from my friend and incoming co-chair Marta Ferraro at the ICES Annual Science Conference 2023 in Gateshead Newcastle UK.

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey — for your ideas, your energy, your honesty, and your friendship. I’m deeply grateful for what we’ve built together, and even more excited for what’s still to come.

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Published by Alina Madita Wieczorek

I am a Fisheries Acoustician at Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA), based in Wellington. My work focuses on integrating acoustic and trawl data to estimate the abundance and biomass of key commercial fish stocks such as hoki, blue whiting, and orange roughy, as well as mesopelagic and Antarctic species that play important roles in marine ecosystems. As project leader for scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) trawl and camera surveys, I am responsible for survey design, planning, and execution. I have participated in more than 15 research voyages to date, serving as both voyage and shift leader. My work includes the collection and analysis of acoustic, oceanographic, and biological data. A key part of my current research is combining environmental DNA (eDNA) with active acoustics to better understand the distribution, diversity, and biomass of mid-trophic level organisms. I have successfully applied this approach in both the Ross Sea MPA in Antarctica and the North Atlantic. I currently serve as Principal Investigator on an international collaboration between Earth Sciences NZ and India’s Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), advancing eDNA and acoustic methods and building long-term partnerships between India and New Zealand contributing to CCAMLR and the 2027 review of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area. I regularly prepare and present technical and scientific reports for ICES, Fisheries New Zealand and CCAMLR, including to stakeholder groups such as the Deepwater Working Group and the Antarctic Working Group. I serve on the editorial board of the ICES Journal of Marine Science, handling manuscript review, editorial decisions, and contributing to the journal’s strategic direction. Before joining Earth Sciences NZ in 2022, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. David Reid’s team at the Marine Institute in Galway, Ireland, as part of the EU Horizon 2020 MEESO project. My research there focused on the abundance and ecology of Mueller’s pearlside (Maurolicus muelleri) and deep scattering layer dynamics, using hull-mounted acoustics, trawling, and environmental DNA. I completed my PhD at the National University of Ireland, Galway, in 2019, supervised by Prof. Peter Croot and Dr. Tom Doyle, investigating microplastic pathways in marine pelagic systems.

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