Doris Soto

Doris Soto a Chilean National, pHD in Ecology (1988 joint PhD program in Ecology, UC Davis-San Diego State University USA) worked as a professor at Universidad Austral de Chile in Puerto Montt between 1990 and 2004 where she developed the aquatic ecology research unit addressing the environmental implications of aquaculture and the interactions between aquaculture and fisheries. From 2005 Doris worked at the UN FAO headquarters in Rome as Senior Aquaculture officer leading the team on aquaculture-environmental interactions where she carried on numerous field projects and initiatives in different countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. While at FAO she also led the development of guidelines for the implementation of an ecosystem approach to aquaculture including the implications of climate change for the sector. Dr Soto also led the implementation of a new FAO tool to assess UN countries compliance with the code of conduct for sustainable fisheries (CCRF) in aquaculture (article 9). She has published numerous scientific papers in high-level journals and FAO publications. By end of 2016, Dr. Soto returned to Chile to continue working on research and training at the INCAR (Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research). At INCAR she leads the area of climate change risk assessment and adaptation in fisheries and aquaculture and the development and implementation of the ecosystem approach to aquaculture in active collaboration with government, NGOs and the industry in Chile (salmon farming and mussel farming) and abroad through international collaboration and including freshwater aquaculture as well.