Meet the Team Archive - Rise Up for the ocean

RISE UP Secretariat

Flora McMorrin

Executive Director

Flora brings extensive experience in advocacy, campaign strategy and coalition-building across environmental, climate and ocean issues. She has worked with civil society, International networks and frontline communities to advance policies on climate change, sustainable development and ocean governance. Her career spans roles with organizations including Friends of the Earth, WaterAid, Blue Ventures and the Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition, where she contributed to global and national campaigns on climate, marine conservation and environmental justice.

At RISE UP, she focuses on amplifying the voices of those most affected by ocean change, fostering collaboration across the ocean space and driving collective action from local communities to global decision-making forums. She is passionate about creating equitable, sustainable solutions that protect both the ocean and the communities that depend on it.

Dr. Sivaja Nair

Programme Manager

Sivaja is a social scientist working at the intersection of ocean governance, climate justice, and community rights. As Programme Manager at RISE UP, she advances inclusive, rights-based approaches to marine conservation and small-scale fisheries governance. Her work champions the leadership of Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and local communities in shaping equitable and climate-resilient ocean futures.

She has previously worked with the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) and UNICEF, coordinating international campaigns, capacity development programmes and research on human rights-based approaches to conservation, tenure rights and sustainable ocean management. With over a decade of experience across Asia, Africa and Latin America, she brings expertise in programme design and management, participatory research, and advocacy linking community priorities to global ocean policy.

Khadija Stewart

Senior Campaigner

Khadija is the Senior Campaigner at RISE UP for the Ocean, where she leads the Ocean and Climate Cluster and drives global advocacy on deep-sea mining. She holds dual MSc degrees in Sustainable Development with Management Studies and in Climate Change and Development. Khadija has represented Caribbean perspectives at the International Seabed Authority, UN Ocean Conferences and UNFCCC COPs, bringing frontline realities into spaces where ocean and climate futures are shaped.

Her work bridges science, law and policy with creativity and storytelling, making complex governance issues accessible and resonant. She also designs capacity development initiatives that help communities and organisations connect international frameworks with local solutions. Believing that stories, art and culture are as vital to climate action as policy and finance, Khadija uses them to inspire new ways of thinking about the ocean and to push for a just, resilient and vibrant ocean–climate future.

Cheila Almeida

Strategic Communications Lead

Cheila is a marine biologist, passionate diver and ocean educator with over seven years of experience in conservation, communications and strategic partnerships. She has led outreach and impact initiatives at local organizations and collaborated with NGOs, community-led movements and corporate partners worldwide while working in a climate tech space. Her research background spans aquaculture, fish health, biodiversity and sustainability projects with local industries to reduce environmental impacts. She also serves as a Scientific Advisor for the Shark Educational Institute.

As a former Eurocean Youth Ambassador for Surfrider Foundation Europe, Cheila has represented youth voices in EU debates on ocean governance. At RISE UP, she combines science, strategy and storytelling to engage the network and drive collective action for just and inclusive ocean governance.

Natalie Fox

Communications and Membership Coordinator

Natalie is a sustainability postgraduate, ocean advocate and communications consultant with over a decade of experience in community engagement, ocean activism and environmental outreach. An academic background in media, sustainability and trans-disciplinary marine science, her work bridges digital communications, participatory research, wellbeing and ocean literacy.

She has previously worked within the UN Ocean Decade as a consultant under IOC-UNESCO for the Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme, supporting the growth of their membership base. She is on the UK’s National Decade Committee and also runs her own UN Ocean Decade project called Citizens of Surf, which empowers surfers to take part in marine citizen science. Natalie’s focus lies in fostering inclusion, ocean access and regenerative, community-led ocean action.

RISE UP Advisory Group

The Advisory Group is a strategically convened group of trusted representatives from RISE UP member organisations, ensuring that the network’s diverse perspectives, regional representation and expertise inform decision-making and collective action.