Our Team

The Ocean Rights Coalition team consists of our Founding Board who carry strategic responsibility for TORC’s activities and campaigns, and an Advisory Board responsible for providing input from and liaising with relevant sectors.

Our Co-Founders & Directors

Michaela Girvan – Co-founder

Michaela is a Global Environmental Maritime Law & Governance Researcher and an Environmental Consultant. She spoke on successful British Seas restoration legislation in Strasbourg as a young delegate and attended global conferences, including the United Nations Annual General Summit in 2023 advocating on ocean rights, the same year that the BBJN was signed.

Sean-James Brownlie – Co-founder

Sean-James Brownlie is a molecular biologist who is a former Senior Energy Advisor with extensive experience in fundraising and third-sector research. Sean is passionate about ecology and sustainable transitions. Sean leads our scientific research and outreach.

Tara Pierce – Director of Multilateral Collaboration

Tara Pierce is one of the Co-founders of the Earth Law Alliance. Tara was one of our coordinating volunteers before joining the board as the Director of Multilateral Collaboration, she has experience in restorative farming and restorative aquaculture practices and brings a fantastic wealth of knowledge and experience to our organisation.

Angela Cunningham – Board Member

Angela Cunningham is an accountant who qualified from the University of West of Scotland. She is one of the founding board members of The Ocean Rights Coalition. She is responsible for our accounts.

Team Members

Cam Molland – UK Ocean Rights Ambassador

Cam Molland was our UK Youth Delegate and representative in Nice, France at the 3rd United Nation Ocean Conference (UNOC3). Following his successful and brilliant representation Cam is now our first UK Ocean Rights Ambassador and Youth Representative. As a Marine Mammal Medic he is regularly on the front lines of beaching’s or helping to get marine life out of ghost nets, helping to keep all of our seas around the British Isles alive and wild.

Liam-Paul Lynch – Head of IT

Liam is a graphic designer, programmer and games developer who works as a freelance consultant. He is also the Director of Demented Onyx Studios Ltd., a small fledgling indie game studio. While being our Head of IT he is also developing ocean literacy games with The Ocean Rights Coalition.

Organisation Representatives

Dr Keith J Baker – Common Weal & Scientists for Global Responsibility

Dr. Baker is both Common Weal and Scientists for Global Responsibility’s organisational representative in The Ocean Rights Coalition.
He is a Research Fellow in Fuel Poverty and Energy Policy at the Built Environment Asset Management (BEAM) Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University; a Co-founder of The Energy Poverty Research initiative; a member of the Board of Directors and Convener of the Energy Working Group at Common Weal; and a Director at Scientists for Global Responsibility.

Mumta Ito – Nature’s Rights

Mumta Ito is an environmental lawyer and the founder of Nature’s Rights and the organisations representative in The Ocean Rights Coalition. She is one of Europe’s leading experts and advocates for rights of nature, advisor to the UN General Assembly, and European facilitator of the UN Harmony with Nature expert dialogues. Taking part in the 2022-2023 international advocacy for a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights.

Lucy Ward – The Earth Law Center

Lucy is the Earth Law Center’s representative in the Ocean Rights Coalition. An Earth law advocate and Nature-conscious governance practitioner based in London, she trained as a marine biologist and began her career working on habitat restoration solutions and leading legal research teams. Lucy co-leads the Strategy, Operations and Planning on the Nature Governance team at the Earth Law Center, where she executes the design and implementation of Nature-conscious Governance principles and practices. Lucy also forwards the Earth Law Centers work by contributing to education on Earth law topics, facilitating the running of the Centers summer course, creation of Earth law modules in the UK and fulfilling her role as Oceans Program Coordinator. Her work also focuses on on-the-ground solutions, through IntelliReefs, where she forwards the application of the proprietary reef building material Oceanite, and its multitude of uses in habitat restoration. 

Elissa Phillips – Incredible Oceans

Is a well-known public speaker on marine education and marine issues in the UK. As well as being a long-time, anti-whaling campaigner. She is also one of the Directors’ at Incredible Oceans. The organisations focus is to allow as many children as possible in the UK to have memories by the sea, as 1/3 have never seen the ocean.

Magdalena Blazusiak – Scottish Ecological Design Association

Currently the vice-chair and a director of The Scottish Ecological Design Association, Magdalena Blazusiak is a Chartered Architectural Technologist, as well as being a PhD researcher and a lecturer, at Robert Gordon University. With her research focusing on researching relationships between people and buildings.


Our Advisors

Manon Jesus – MMO Engagement

Manon is a Marine Mammal Observer who regularly works offshore providing advice on best practice for boats undertaking licensed work around the UK and Ireland. She has also undertaken work for the Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) for nine years.

Frederic Bayer – Labour Engagement

Fred is the Assistant Secretary of Aberdeen Trades Union Council and was previously Vice Chair and then Chair of the Scottish Trades Union Congress Youth (2021-2023) and subsequently a delegate at the 2024 German-British Trade Union Youth Forum on Just Transition. Fred is also responsible for the administrative-IT side of TORC.

Our Volunteers

Brandon Pielech – Communications Volunteer

Brandon is a young sailing enthusiast from Glasgow, UK who spends much of his time reading books on boat engines, sailing and philosophies. With an interest and passion for social studies just equal to his love for sailing and the sea. Brandon is a communications volunteer with us, helping to keep social media posts running and designing, drafting and typing aspects of our quarterly magazine.

The Ocean Rights Coalition team consists of our Founding Board who carry strategic responsibility for TORC’s activities and campaigns, and an Advisory Board responsible for providing input from and liaising with relevant sectors.

Our Co-Founders & Directors

Michaela Girvan – Co-founder

Michaela is a Global Environmental Maritime Law & Governance Researcher and an Environmental Consultant. She spoke on successful British Seas restoration legislation in Strasbourg as a young delegate and attended global conferences, including the United Nations Annual General Summit in 2023 advocating on ocean rights, the same year that the BBJN was signed.

Sean-James Brownlie – Co-founder

Sean-James Brownlie is a molecular biologist who is a former Senior Energy Advisor with extensive experience in fundraising and third-sector research. Sean is passionate about ecology and sustainable transitions. Sean leads our scientific research and outreach.

Tara Pierce – Director of Multilateral Collaboration

Tara Pierce is one of the Co-founders of the Earth Law Alliance. Tara was one of our coordinating volunteers before joining the board as the Director of Multilateral Collaboration, she has experience in restorative farming and restorative aquaculture practices and brings a fantastic wealth of knowledge and experience to our organisation.

Angela Cunningham – Board Member

Angela Cunningham is an accountant who qualified from the University of West of Scotland. She is one of the founding board members of The Ocean Rights Coalition. She is responsible for our accounts.

Team Members

Cam Molland – UK Ocean Rights Ambassador

Cam Molland was our UK Youth Delegate and representative in Nice, France at the 3rd United Nation Ocean Conference (UNOC3). Following his successful and brilliant representation Cam is now our first UK Ocean Rights Ambassador and Youth Representative. As a Marine Mammal Medic he is regularly on the front lines of beaching’s or helping to get marine life out of ghost nets, helping to keep all of our seas around the British Isles alive and wild.

Liam-Paul Lynch – Head of IT

Liam is a graphic designer, programmer and games developer who works as a freelance consultant. He is also the Director of Demented Onyx Studios Ltd., a small fledgling indie game studio. While being our Head of IT he is also developing ocean literacy games with The Ocean Rights Coalition.

Organisation Representatives

Dr Keith J Baker – Common Weal & Scientists for Global Responsibility

Dr. Baker is both Common Weal and Scientists for Global Responsibility’s organisational representative in The Ocean Rights Coalition.
He is a Research Fellow in Fuel Poverty and Energy Policy at the Built Environment Asset Management (BEAM) Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University; a Co-founder of The Energy Poverty Research initiative; a member of the Board of Directors and Convener of the Energy Working Group at Common Weal; and a Director at Scientists for Global Responsibility.

Mumta Ito – Nature’s Rights

Mumta Ito is an environmental lawyer and the founder of Nature’s Rights and the organisations representative in The Ocean Rights Coalition. She is one of Europe’s leading experts and advocates for rights of nature, advisor to the UN General Assembly, and European facilitator of the UN Harmony with Nature expert dialogues. Taking part in the 2022-2023 international advocacy for a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights.

Lucy Ward – The Earth Law Center

Lucy is the Earth Law Center’s representative in the Ocean Rights Coalition. An Earth law advocate and Nature-conscious governance practitioner based in London, she trained as a marine biologist and began her career working on habitat restoration solutions and leading legal research teams. Lucy co-leads the Strategy, Operations and Planning on the Nature Governance team at the Earth Law Center, where she executes the design and implementation of Nature-conscious Governance principles and practices. Lucy also forwards the Earth Law Centers work by contributing to education on Earth law topics, facilitating the running of the Centers summer course, creation of Earth law modules in the UK and fulfilling her role as Oceans Program Coordinator. Her work also focuses on on-the-ground solutions, through IntelliReefs, where she forwards the application of the proprietary reef building material Oceanite, and its multitude of uses in habitat restoration. 

Elissa Phillips – Incredible Oceans

Is a well-known public speaker on marine education and marine issues in the UK. As well as being a long-time, anti-whaling campaigner. She is also one of the Directors’ at Incredible Oceans. The organisations focus is to allow as many children as possible in the UK to have memories by the sea, as 1/3 have never seen the ocean.

Magdalena Blazusiak – Scottish Ecological Design Association

Currently the vice-chair and a director of The Scottish Ecological Design Association, Magdalena Blazusiak is a Chartered Architectural Technologist, as well as being a PhD researcher and a lecturer, at Robert Gordon University. With her research focusing on researching relationships between people and buildings.


Our Advisors

Manon Jesus – MMO Engagement

Manon is a Marine Mammal Observer who regularly works offshore providing advice on best practice for boats undertaking licensed work around the UK and Ireland. She has also undertaken work for the Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) for nine years.

Frederic Bayer – Labour Engagement

Fred is the Assistant Secretary of Aberdeen Trades Union Council and was previously Vice Chair and then Chair of the Scottish Trades Union Congress Youth (2021-2023) and subsequently a delegate at the 2024 German-British Trade Union Youth Forum on Just Transition. Fred is also responsible for the administrative-IT side of TORC.

Our Volunteers

Brandon Pielech – Communications Volunteer

Brandon is a young sailing enthusiast from Glasgow, UK who spends much of his time reading books on boat engines, sailing and philosophies. With an interest and passion for social studies just equal to his love for sailing and the sea. Brandon is a communications volunteer with us, helping to keep social media posts running and designing, drafting and typing aspects of our quarterly magazine.

The Ocean Rights Coalition team is currently in the process of finalising and signing Memorandums of Understanding to onboard new coalition members and partner with international organisations. This includes permission to utilise their logos in promotional materials. Therefore, we are currently unable to publicly disclose our full list of pending members and international and national partners.

If you have any further inquiries regarding this matter, please reach out to: 
info@oceanrights.org.uk

An updated, real-time list of new coalition members and of public and official national and international partners will be updated below.