OUR TEAM

Collaborate with committed and experienced Directors, PHD Scientists, Veterinarians, Researchers, Data Analysts, Consultants, Farmers and all round good people.

CHRISTINE HUYNH

  • Specialises in: production medicine, aquatic animal welfare, biosecurity management, technical strategy

    Christine completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney. She has been working in the aquaculture industry since, and consults internationally, offering technical management services that support global best practice.

ALASTAIR SMART

  • Alastair grew up on a mountainous wool growing property in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia with views to the sea – which clearly did the trick. This precipitated into 3 decades of working in aquaculture in numerous countries, species and all aspects of the fish farming process. Variety is the spice of life so Alastair started this journey by making feed for bluefin tuna and crocodiles, farming mussels in Port Lincoln before heading overseas and immersing into the salmon industry throughout Scotland, Norway, Chile, Canada, Ireland and Australia. He hasn’t stopped and most recently was CEO of Australia’s only ocean grown barramundi operation.

CONNECT WITH ALASTAIR
Email: asmart@nautiluscollaboration.com
Book with Alastair
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BELINDA YAXLEY

  • Specialises in: certification, development of management systems, standards, environmental management

    Belinda holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) and PhD in Zoology from the University of Tasmania. Belinda is a bench-marking committee member of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative and a Country Coordinator for Global Aquaculture Alliance (across two teams - business development and program integrity).

    In the aquaculture sector she organises and facilitate systems that supports the responsible production of seafood.

    Belinda, in her free time enjoys running a hobby farm and aims to be self-sustaining. She enjoys the company of her 20+ chickens, and her dogs Ruby, Pukka, and Artemis.

CHRISTIAN VAN RIJN

  • Specialises in: commercial trials, data management, lead auditing, certification, quality management systems

    Dr. Christian van Rijn is an aquatic physiologist with a passion for applied science, and has worked within the Aquaculture industry for 10 years. Christian has operational experience working in kingfish and salmon farms, and has also worked with most other major aquaculture species, including barramundi, mussels, oysters, prawns, and abalone. Christian completed his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at Deakin University on a project funded by the Tasmanian salmon industry, and is currently a Research & Development Scientist at Nautilus Collaboration. He is also formally qualified as a Lead Auditor in Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001:2015). Christian’s main objective is to seek evidence-based approaches to improve the operation and sustainability of the seafood sector through research, innovation, and practical solutions.

    During his free time, Christian can be found down at the beach in Ocean Grove surfing, or exploring the coast with his with his partner Hanna and his border collie named Ringo.

SARAH WAHTINEZ

  • Specialises in: Aquatic animal veterinary medicine, Aquatic animal welfare, Research and Project management

    Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Zoo and Wildlife Biology, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, a PhD in Veterinary Medical Sciences, and is a Certified Aquatic Veterinarian through the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association. As a veterinarian with a strong interest in aquatic animal health and welfare, she is passionate about the practical application of animal welfare principles in the aquaculture sector. Her research interests include humane stunning and slaughter methods and anesthesia and analgesia (pain medication) for aquatic animals. She is also interested in effective communication strategies and holds a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Education and Communication. Sarah has experience with applying traditional veterinary diagnostic tests to marine invertebrates as well as molecular tests including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.

    During her free time, Sarah can be found traveling the world with her partner Oscar, exploring restaurants and wineries around Sydney or spending time with friends.

MALIN NIKOLAJEW

  • Specialises in: compliance and permits, sustainability, environmental management
    Malin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Biology from Stockholm University in Sweden. She has years of experience, working within the environmental compliance and water management fields for various government agencies, in Australia and abroad. Malin has also worked in a laboratory environment – providing reports and advice on technical issues to internal and external clients.

    During her free time, Malin enjoys travelling, hiking and when the opportunity arises, skiing.

CONNECT WITH MALIN
Email: mnikolajew@nautiluscollaboration.com

ELENA CONTADOR

  • Specialises in: Diagnostics and fish health and biosecurity management systems
    Elena, a Chilean veterinarian, holds a Master's in Fish Pathology from Canada's Ontario Veterinary College. With 16 years of expertise in diagnosing fish diseases, her experience ranges from fish farms to wild and exotic species in Canada. In Chile, she served as a laboratory manager and fish histopathologist for 3 years. Following this, Elena freelanced globally for a year, exploring fish health research worldwide. She then spent 3 years in Malta, contributing to fish stock health in RAS settings. In April 2023, she joined Nautilus Collaboration as a Fish Health Consultant. Beyond her profession, Elena enjoys hiking, sports, drawing, and immersing herself in movies and books.

CONNECT WITH ELENA
Email: econtador@nautiluscollaboration.com
Publications: Research Gate

ANDREW MACKAY

  • Specialises in: Statistics & Modelling
    Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Monash University majoring in Mathematics with minors in Computational Science and Mathematical Statistics. Andrew has held production roles in Aquaculture and has experiences ranging from data analysis to running grow out operations. In his free time, Andrew involves himself in the local community in Darwin. Andrew has no love for SOP development and prefers travelling in the warmer months.

KYRA HOEVENAARS

  • Specialises in: Aquaculture in developing countries, Management Systems, Lead Auditing, Project Management

    Kyra holds a Master degree in Biology from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. She has years of experience in setting-up and managing aquaculture projects for different species as well as providing training for hatchery, on-growing operations, and best practices in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Kyra also works as a project manager, auditor, and writer. Her goal is to contribute to the sustainability of the sector, both in terms of the environment and the people.

    In her free time, Kyra likes to travel, hike, rock climb, snowboard, dive, read and watch movies.

CONNOR HUGHES

  • Specialises in: Industrial automation, Machine learning, Application development, IOT, Cloud microservices, and Robotics development.
    Connor fuses skills in industrial automation, machine learning, and robotics to develop practical cutting-edge solutions in the aquaculture, water treatment, and ecological conservation sectors. His experience includes engineering drone and ML solutions for algae mitigation, developing animal detection technology for conservation efforts in South Africa, automating cloud-based data logging for proprietary industrial control systems, and designing UI with multiparameter sensing and telemetry for mobile water treatment systems. Connor strives to galvanize emerging technologies to optimize operational bandwidth and human-machine bandwidth, promote transparency and collaboration, and foster environmental sustainability.

    When he’s not working, Connor walks his Siberian husky Jack and performs original music in Pompano Beach.