Meet the Team

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

Alan is the Founder & Director of YSCS. He holds an MSc in Coastal & Marine Management (with a BSc in Ecology). He is also the Coastal Communities Network Coordinator at Fauna & Flora, where he supports community-led action for our coasts and seas. Prior to this he was a High Seas Bycatch Project Officer at the RSPB. Alan is a dedicated marine policy enthusiast, eager to inspire others into action.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Sophie joins the YSCS team with a wealth of experience in marine education, having worked with young people in marine conservation from Madagascar and the Maldives, to the Isle of Arran where she is now based. With a background in community organising and campaigning and a love of diving, Sophie is passionate about sharing the underwater world and empowering others to protect it.

CHAIR

Claudia is a former Scottish Labour Co-operative politician who served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for South Scotland from 2011 to 2021. She was her party’s Climate Change, Environment & Land Reform Spokesperson and developed a strong commitment to marine issues. She was previously a primary teacher.

SECRETARY

Fanny is a Marine Policy and Engagement Officer at Scottish Environment LINK. Prior to that, she worked as a marine policy assistant for the Provence local government, and as a policy officer at the French Biodiversity Agency, as part of the Marine Protected Areas department and the Marine Natural Park of Iroise. Fanny has a MSc from the University of Edinburgh in Marine Systems and Policies.

TREASURER

Hannah is a Lecturer in Socio-Environmental Systems at Scotland’s Rural College, and Deputy Director of the MSc in Environmental Protection and Management at the University of Edinburgh. Her research is in marine ecology, community participation and coastal systems. Alongside YSCS, she sits on the Board of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, and the Scottish Policy Group for the British Ecological Society.

Rowan is an environmental social scientist with research experience in environmental degradation and climate change resilience. She works with communities on the front lines of climate change in Oceania and the UK, while serving as a Lecturer in Human Geography and Sustainability at King's College London. She is the Environmental Sciences Editor for the International Social Sciences Journal (ISSJ), which was originally founded by UNESCO in 1949, and is also a co-founder of Young Sea Changers Scotland.

Caitlin is a marine biologist with several years of experience volunteering in the marine conservation sector across various roles, including serving as a Sea Champion Volunteer for MCS UK and founding the University of Stirling's first Marine Conservation Society. Previously, Caitlin has worked as a Fisheries Project Officer at Seafish, and now works as the Policy Officer for the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT). Caitlin is also the Youth Representative on the Sea Scotland Conference steering group, and from 2022-2023, has represented Scotland on the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council.

Elen is a graduate in Biology from the University of Stirling and is currently studying a Master of Research in Ecology and Environmental Biology at the University of Glasgow. She is an active member of the Cairngorms Youth Action Team, which is a youth group whose aim is to empower young people to play a strong role in creating a sustainable future for the Cairngorms National Park.

Anna is a recent graduate and student ambassador from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS/UHI). Her focus is conservation with a particular passion for marine mammals. She took part in the Young Leaders Development Programme 2021/2022 and was part of UpRising’s Environmental Leadership Programme.

Ellen is Co-Director of UK Youth for Nature, a network of 16-35 year olds from across the UK calling on the government to act on the nature crisis. She is also Manager of Curlew Action, a charity dedicated to reversing the decline of Curlews and campaigning for more natural history education. Outside of these roles, Ellen is a wildlife artist, specialising in graphite pencil drawings of British wildlife.

Laura has a Masters degree in Marine Biology from the University of Southampton. She works in accounting and is part-AAT qualified. Laura is based in Orkney where she volunteers on the committee of the Orkney Sub-Aqua Club, liaising regularly with a range of organisations involved in marine research, conservation and charitable activities. She is a qualified diving instructor and enjoys engaging with people passionate about the marine environment.