Naima El Bani Altuna is the newly appointed Deputy Secretary, responsible for Communications at NAMMCO. With a background in geology (BSc in Geology and MSc in Paleoceanography), Naima has pursued her career across various international settings, including the Basque Country, Italy, France, Canada, Norway, and the UK.

In 2021, she earned her PhD in marine geology from UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, focusing on the historical interplay between ocean circulation and abrupt climate shifts in the Nordic Seas and the Barents Sea. Post-PhD, Naima continued working as a researcher within UiT’s ARCLIM-The Arctic Ocean under warm climates research group.

With a strong desire to make a societal impact, she joined Arctic Frontiers, initially as the Young Program Coordinator (2021-2022), later overseeing Side Events and the Emerging Leaders program (2022-2023). Throughout her career, Naima has been dedicated to share climate change-related scientific knowledge in multiple languages, including Basque (her mother tongue), Spanish, and English, to engage a broader audience. Her mission is to make knowledge accessible to all.

In her new role at NAMMCO, she aims to continue her commitment by facilitating collaborations and communication between scientists, knowledge holders, users, policymakers, and the public, in the context of sustainable and responsible management of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. Naima looks forward to understanding how scientific and traditional knowledge complement each other to influence policymaking and contribute to informed decision-making, which is NAMMCO’s core mission.

Originally from Bilbao, Naima has embraced Tromsø as her home. In her free time, she is a devoted plant mom (with over 60 house plants), navigating the challenges of Arctic plant care. She is also a sociable person, who likes learning new languages, cherishes knitting with friends and enjoys being outdoors in the captivating Arctic scenery.