About Our Team
Lilia Dmitrieva, BSc, MSc
Lilia is an observer on board the aerial survey aircraft. From 2008 she is also a participant in the additional icebreaker and helicopter surveys. Lilia is also co-coordinator of both the CISS and Darwin projects and acts as a translator and liaison for the projects. She also helps to organise seal monitoring and conservation programmes throughout the Caspian region.
Simon Goodman, BSc, PhD
Simon is a lecturer in evolutionary biology, based at the University of Leeds. He is Director of the Caspian seal Darwin Initiative project and principal coordinator of the overall research programme and the winter ice surveys in the northern Caspian. Simon is also developing, together with our scientific partners in each Caspian country, seal monitoring and conservation programmes throughout the Caspian. More information about Simon and his research can be found on his University of Leeds staff page.
Tero Härkönen, BSc, PhD
Tero is Scientific Director of CISS. He participates in the aerial surveys as observer and photographer, carries out the statistical analyses of the survey data, and leads the writing of survey publications.
Ivar Jüssi, BSc, MSc
Ivar is an observer and photographer on board the aircraft and also participates in data processing and management.
Mart Jüssi, BSc, MSc
Mart plays a central role in planning and coordinating the aerial survey. He works with the ice-specialists at Agip KCO to understand the ice formations prior to the survey and at the time of the survey. He is an observer on board the survey aircraft.
Mikhail Verevkin, BSc, MSc
Mikhail is an observer and photographer on board the survey aircraft.
Sue Wilson, BSc, MSc, PhD, LLM
Sue is co-coordinator of both the Darwin and CISS projects. She has been leading the additional surveys on icebreakers and helicopter. She participates in data processing and prepares survey reports. Sue is also engaged in developing local seal monitoring and conservation programmes throughout the region, in partnership with scientific partners in each Caspian country.