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Peter Mumby Emerges 37th Recipient of the Rosenstiel Award

14/03/2011 11:21

Peter Mumby, a British marine ecologist and professor at Australia's University of Queensland, has become the 37th recipient of the Rosenstiel Award. The award is one of the top honors awarded by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Miami, Florida.

Mumby, received the award, based on his remarkable contribution to marine studies. Mumb, who began his career in 1992 at the Coral Cay Conservation in Belize as a Science Coordinator, designing marine reserves, has been over the years been involved in studies on the impacts of marine reserves on Caribbean reefs, among many other marine studies. At the Univeristy of Sheffield, he received a Ph.D in coral reef remote sensing. While at the University of Newcastle and the University of Exeter in the UK, he took on two research fellowships in the same field, and is author of two books, 85 journal articles, and several first-author papers in Science and Nature.

Beyond is academic achievements, Mumby's work has also made impact in the implementation of policies as regards marine life. His studies on Caribbean reefs, resulted in a discovery that the direct effects of protecting fish can have profound indirect effects on the ecosystem. Such findings helped provide insight into the consequences of conserving herbivorous fishes, reducing nutrient runoff, conserving mangroves, and restoring urchin populations. His works, too, have helped in implementing a ban on herbivore exploitation in Belize, and the identification of a marine park at Conception Island in the Bahamas.

According to Andrew Baker, an Associate Professor at the Rosenstiel School:

"Professor Mumby is a leading figure in coral reef science, whose work spans the fields of remote sensing, connectivity, ecology, and climate change. It is extremely rare for someone to have made such lasting contributions to such a broad range of fields at such an early stage in their career. With the future of coral reefs currently hanging in the balance, it's good to know that scientists like Professor Mumby have dedicated themselves to finding ways to help these ecosystems persist and thrive over the next few decades."

The Rosenstiel Award honors scientists who, in the past decade, have made significant and growing impacts in their field. It is an award targeted for researchers that are already making outstanding scientific contributions in their early to mid-career stages. Created through an endowment from the Rosenstiel Foundation, it recognizes outstanding scientists for their contributions to marine science and in oceanographically relevant areas of atmospheric science with a $10,000 prize. It is awarded annually to one individual on a rotating basis for achievements in six broad disciplinary areas: marine geology and geophysics; meteorology and physical oceanography; marine and atmospheric chemistry; marine biology and fisheries; applied marine physics; and marine affairs. This year’s award to falls within the discipline of marine biology and fisheries.

A dinner to celebrate and acknowledge Mumby’s achievements will be held on April 6 at the Rosenstiel School.

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