Marine biologist (Master of Science, University of Chile, 1971) and oceanographer (PhD, Scripps Institution, San Diego, USA, 1980), Dr. Bernal has made an outstanding contribution to the ocean science. Inter alia, he served as Executive Director of the Fisheries Research Institute, Chile, 1990-1994; Under-Secretary for Fisheries and Chairman of the Fisheries Research Council, Chile, 1994-1996; and as Assistant  Director General of UNESCO and the 7th and longest serving Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, Paris, 1998-2009. (Read more)