Dr. Joel Fleurence, Ph.D., is a Professor of Marine Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Nantes. He is one of the two Directors of the Research Laboratory Sea, Molecules, Health. He is a member of the University National Council since 2007 and was elected President of the section Biology of organisms since 2017. He is a senior scientist and an international expert on the seaweed valorization (120 international publications including patents). In 1985, he began his research career in the pharmaceutical industry in the French Company Roussel Uclaf. In 1990, he was recruited by the Institute of Valorization of Seaweeds (CEVA, Brittany, France) to lead researches about the chemical composition and nutritional properties of macroalgae. Professor Fleurence has participated in the establishment of the French regulation on marine algae used as sea vegetables. In 1994, he arrives as a head of laboratory Proteins and Quality at IFREMER (Research French Organism for the Sea Exploitation) and develops research on the nutritional properties of seaweed protein for use in human or animal food. Since 2002, he is a Professor at the University of Nantes and leads research on the development of seaweed uses as protein or pigment sources for the industry. Dr. Ira A. Levine, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern Maine, the CEO of the Algae Foundation, and the Director of the AlgaePrize 2022-2023. He has previously been awarded a 2009-2010 U.S. State Department, Fulbright New Century Scholar and the 2016-2017 Fulbright Distinguished Chair Fellowship. In 2007-2008 he was a visiting professor of biology at Duke University. Dr. Levine combines 36 years of applied and basic research in the molecular, physiological ecology and cultivation of algae, aquatic farming management, and aquaculture engineering. Dr. Levines farming experience includes open-ocean and pond cultivation in Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and USA (Hawaii, Florida, and Maine). His current focus is on algal-based workforce development, education and training in the USA and 100 other countries.
