CORE TEAM
COOPER VAN VRANKEN (US)
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR / CEO
Moving from commercial fishing into fisheries science in Denmark lead to the diverse perspectives and inspiration for Berring Data Collective.
cooper@berringdatacollective.com
BERTHE VASTENHOUD (BE/NL)
CHIEF DATA OFFICER
With a background in fisheries science and management, Berthe has specialized in fisheries modeling and data processing for maritime spatial planning applications.
berthe@berringdatacollective.com
CARLES CASTRO MUNIAIN (ESP)
IT ENGINEER
Carles is Robotics and Automation engineer with a background in Industrial and Electrical Engineering. He is fluent in diverse programming languages, but standing out in Python.
carles@berringdatacollective.com
CAPT. JOE LITCHFIELD (US)
NORTH PACIFIC OPERATIONS
Captain Joe has over 50 years of sea-going experience. First as a trawler on the east coast of the US, then off of Alaska. An expert net-builder, Joe is an endless supply of sea-faring experiences. After an illustrious trawling career, Joe pivoted to research and exploration voyages, deploying a wide array of oceanographic monitoring systems.
CaptainJoe492@gmail.com
ADVISORY COMMITEE
JAMES MANNING
FISHERIES SCIENTIST & EMOLT PROGRAM FOUNDER
Jim Manning has been at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center for 30+ years. After a bachelor’s degree in mathematics (UMO) and master’s degree in oceanography (URI), his career has been largely devoted to building low-cost ocean observing systems with the help of commercial fishermen. Jim has been the primary architect and operator of eMOLT, which is one of the largest and most successful programs utilizing fishing gear to collect oceanographic data.
DENNIS LISBJERG
HEAD OF SECTION OF MARITIME SERVICE, DTU AQUA
Dennis is head of Maritime Service in the Technical University of Denmark, Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua). In this position he is responsible for the research vessels involved in the collection of fisheries monitoring data in Denmark. He holds a MSc in Marine biology and a MBA. Besides working at DTU, he is involved in citizen science efforts in Danish Zoological Society collecting data on sea turtles.
HEIDI ANDREASEN
FISHERIES BIOLOGIST, DTU AQUA
Heidi originally hails from the Faroe Islands, from a family with strong fishing traditions. She has been working at the Technical University of Denmark, Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua) as a fisheries biologist for over 25 years, with extensive biological, laboratory, acoustic, and oceanographic data collection and processing experience. Heidi is a strong link between the Nordic fishing communities and scientific researchers, providing invaluable connections to BDC.