Kiwi scientist wins global prize to help investigate combatting climate change
Restoring estuaries and waterways across New Zealand could be a useful tool in fighting climate change, a Kiwi scientist says. Marine environmental scientist Dr Shari Gallops interest in waterways has been rewarded with a $25,000 global fellowship to continue her groundbreaking research into how estuaries capture carbon and contribute to the environment. Gallop will investigate how estuaries, which support the food supply and local economies across the country, could be restored when accounting for the impacts of climate change. Estuaries provide an important resource for communities, she said. READ MORE: * Three win Nobel medicine award for hepatitis C virus discovery * Explainer: $700m to make waterways clean again * Carbon dioxide vents: 'White Island gives us a picture of the future' But many have been degraded due to poor decisions and management and are vulnerable to climate change because they are exposed to the changes of land, river and marine environments. The ultimate goal is to successfully restore estuaries, to restore the environment for the people. Many cities and towns across New Zealand are built around estuaries, including Auckland and Christchurch. Estuaries can capture carbon and prevent it from becoming carbon dioxide which makes them extremely important in New Zealand, she said. Estuaries also have a wide array of biodiversity contributing to food production. Many also carry embedded cultural values. Gallop says she was humbled, but excited, to receive the grant as part of the LOreal and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Science fellowship. I was really surprised knowing that there is only one recipient in New Zealand, and they chose me," she said. They saw value in my work and I was excited to have the opportunity to have this conversation about climate change. The money will be used to fund fieldwork and research. Much of her research is dedicated to the Kaituna river in Maketu in the Bay of Plenty. The river was diverted away from the estuary but was being altered to flow through it again. My goal is to better understand the science of estuary restoration and understand how it succeeds or fails. Some of the grant money will be used for childcare as it can get quite tricky at times with two kids." The LOreal programme recognises the achievements of exceptional, early-career female scientists with the long-term goal of having more female Nobel Prize awardees by increasing the number of female scientists. In 1998 LOreal founded the For Women in Science programme to prime greater participation from female scientists. There are only about 20 women making up the most senior leadership positions in scientific roles. Only three Nobel Prizes have been awarded to women. LOreal New Zealands country manager Aurelie de Cremiers said science and research is vital to solving the greatest challenges we face. This year all the recipients were researching topics connected to climate change. We have a responsibility, as a company, towards helping find solutions to global issues, such as climate change, she said. We need to act urgently, and thats why weve chosen to dedicate our For Women in Science fellowship to scientists helping address this. We are proud to be able to award the fellowship to Dr Gallop.