35th PlyMSEF Marine Science Medal Lecture
Tuesday 01 November 2022
Science for solutions to save the sea
Professor Heather Koldewey, Senior Marine Technical Advisor, Zoological Society of London
“With so much doom and gloom about the environment, this presentation aims to provide some ocean optimism. By taking a scientific journey from Bodmin Moor to the middle of the Indian Ocean, this is a story of finding solutions to save the sea. I will highlight the interface between science and conservation, using examples that include seahorses, marine protected areas, and the power of collaboration and unusual partnerships.”
Heather started working for the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in 1995, as a postdoctoral research scientist, curator of London Zoo Aquarium, Head of Marine and Freshwater Conservation and now as Senior Marine Technical Advisor. Since 2017, Heather has been the lead of the Bertarelli Foundation’s Marine Science Programme, a transdisciplinary research and conservation programme for marine science and conservation focused on the Indian Ocean, involving over 100 researchers from 26 institutions and 10 countries. It is an endorsed Action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and has a strong focus on regional capacity building for marine science.
She was appointed a National Geographic Fellow in 2019 with a focus on solving ocean plastic pollution and was science co-lead for their 2019 Sea to Source: Ganges expedition. She co-founded Project Seahorse in 1996, the world’s leading authority on seahorses and early pioneer of community-based marine conservation; set up Net-Works, a multi-award winning project that has developed a novel community-based supply chain for discarded fishing nets that are recycled into carpet (recently spun out as social enterprise COAST-4C). Heather is an Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter.
DATE: 1 November, 2022
VENUE: Devonport Lecture Theatre, University of Plymouth
Open to all
FREE ADMISSION
PlyMSEF
The Plymouth Marine Science & Education Foundation (PlyMSEF) is a charitable body established to provide funds to enable students and early career scientists to attend scientific conferences and symposia or to attend advanced training courses or workshops in the marine disciplines. It also provides funds to promote marine science and related subjects such as public lectures and seminars in Plymouth and an annual research student conference.
Its work is overseen by Trustees from marine organisations across Plymouth: DDRC Healthcare, Marine Biological Association of the UK, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Plymouth.