ICES welcomes Rowena Stern-Kluckner as the new editor of our Techniques in Marine Environmental Sciences (TIMES) series. She takes over the post from Tatiana Tsagaraki, who has served as series editor since 2019.
Stern-Kluckner is Director of Tiny Ocean Health Insights Ltd. and an Honorary Fellow at Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK. With a background spanning marine biology, phytoplankton ecology, and environmental science research, she brings both scientific depth and a passion for communication and collaboration to her new editorial role.
We sat down with the new series editor to find out more about her and her hopes for the TIMES.
You've been involved with ICES for quite some time. How did that begin?
I first became involved with ICES in 2010 when I joined the Working Group on Phytoplankton and Microbial Ecology (WGPME). I chaired the group from 2019 until last year, when I passed the baton on to Nicole Poulton. I'm also part of the Working Group on Integrated Morphological and Molecular Taxonomy (WGIMT).
I've grown to love ICES as an organization: there are so many members from so many countries providing scientific advice on all things marine. I really like the way the organization works from the bottom-up, taking input from all members. It provides an equitable and open way to government, bringing together scientists from all career stages and working in a very careful and transparent way to provide what I see as the best scientific advice.
What attracted you to the role of TIMES Series Editor?
I wanted to take on a new challenge. ICES is an old institution and one that many people rely on for methods and guidance. The TIMES is a very detailed series on protocols and guidance, and these are vitally important for the progression of science. I've written many reviews, detailed chapters, and manuscripts on methodology and I think it's really important that they are shared.
What are you most looking forward to?
Meeting and working with the editorial and larger ICES team. I am looking forward to understanding the variety of work that comes through TIMES and understanding more in depth all the aspects of ICES guidance. And, importantly, to bring them forth to the marine science community – and that's not just the scientists, it's also all other stakeholders.
Do you have any plans or new ideas for the series?
I'd like to explore ways to make it more visible and accessible, especially to early-career researchers. One idea could be to introduce shorter guidance documents articles- alongside the longer, more comprehensive methods.
I also want to raise awareness of TIMES outside the ICES community, for example, by promoting it at conferences. It's a free, open resource, and I think many more people could benefit from knowing it exists.
Finally, what challenges do you anticipate?
Every new role comes with a learning curve! My goal is to honour the effort that authors put into these proposals and final publications and ensure the process remains rigorous, fair, and supportive.
The latest in the TIMES series—Vol. 73 ICES Survey Protocols – Offshore beam trawl surveys, coordinated by Working Group on Beam Trawl Surveys—has just been published. This is the 5th edition of this survey protocol & describes the current methodologies, stratification, & sample processing used in the offshore beam trawl surveys.
