About us

KDM is an association with 20 members. They meet annually in a general meeting where all important decisions for KDM are made.

The KDM Board consists of five members, including a chairperson, a first and second deputy chairperson and two other members. The Board is responsible for all matters of the Association.

KDM maintains two offices in Berlin and Brussels, but works throughout Germany, Europe and the world - on site and virtually.

Dr Yekaterina Astafyeva holds a doctorate in microbiology. She has been working as a Science Policy Advisor at the German Marine Research Consortium in Brussels since September 2022. She previously completed her doctorate at the University of Hamburg as part of the DAAD exchange programme. In her doctoral thesis, she researched the interaction of microalgae and bacteria. She has experience as an external expert at the German accreditation agency ASIIN in the field of biology. Previously, she worked at Auezov South Kazakhstan State University as an international project manager and coordinator for academic mobility. She carried out international cooperation with partner universities within the framework of Erasmus+ projects, including the development of study programmes in the natural sciences.

Jan-Stefan Fritz has been Managing Director of the German Marine Research Consortium since 2018. For over fifteen years, he has represented various German science organisations at the EU and in various international bodies. Before that, he worked in various capacities for the BMBF, UNEP and UNESCO, as well as in Canada. Stefan Fritz holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Jonathan Heimer is a young scientist in the field of marine environmental sciences. He has been working at the German Marine Research Consortium since 2022, initially in various roles and now as a research associate. His work focuses on the development and conceptualisation of socio-ecological future scenarios of the ocean to generate knowledge for action. He also has a keen interest in communicating scientific findings through various forms of storytelling. As a freelance sustainability consultant, Jonathan also works with organisations and companies on transformation processes towards sustainability.

Jella Kandziora holds a PhD in economics and environmental engineering. She has been working as a Science Policy Advisor at the German Marine Research Consortium in Brussels since July 2022. In her career to date, she has gained experience in national and international project management, particularly on the topics of sustainable management, bioeconomy and waste management. She conducted research on microplastics and was involved in the organisation of the launch event as well as the seven virtual "Ocean Decade Laboratories". Jella is the German G7 National Focal Point of the Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative Working Group and will contribute her expertise not only to Horizon Europe projects but also to the Atlantic Cooperation.

Sebastian Konitzer has been with the German Marine Research Consortium since 2012. Previously, he worked at the German Climate Consortium and in various companies in the automotive sector. He is responsible for all administrative and organisational matters for the Berlin and Brussels offices.

Sebastian Konitzer holds a degree in business administration (FH) with a focus on environmental and international management and is a certified environmental manager.

Alexandra-Sophie is a Canadian marine biologist with more than 17 years of experience in science. She holds a PhD in Biological Oceanography from the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany. In her research career, she has studied the effects of climate change-induced stress on marine microorganisms to determine how their community structures and genetic material will change in the future. Prior to her time in Germany, she developed non-lethal techniques to track the dispersal of coral reef fish on the Great Barrier Reef. Alexandra-Sophie is passionate about marine organisms, conservation and educating people about the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem.

Wendy Namisnik (MA International Relations & Environmental Issues / BA Journalism) is a California native with more than 25 years of experience in communications and project management on behalf of private, governmental and non-profit organisations, including environmental organisations. Wendy moved to Germany in 2018 to lead the Capacity Development work package for AANChOR, an EU-funded project supporting the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance. Since March 2021, Wendy has joined KDM as Project Manager for the EU-Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 active. Wendy also co-coordinated the Virtual Early Career Ocean Professional Day organised by KDM as part of the official kick-off for the UN Ocean Decade. Wendy is passionate about environmental protection, especially reducing waste and promoting animal rights and welfare.