In brief: Honour for NIWA scientist

1 May 2014

NIWA scientist Cliff Law has been awarded the prestigious 2013 Hutchinson Medal, by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).

Dr Law, a specialist in marine biogeochemistry, received the medal for his work as a co-author on a paper about ocean fertilisation. His fellow author and medal winner was ex-NIWA scientist Dr Phil Boyd.

The medal was awarded for a paper called Ocean fertilization: A review of effectiveness, environmental impacts and emerging governance, published by the journal Process Safety and Environmental Protection, in November 2012.

It reviewed the state of knowledge on large-scale ocean fertilisation by adding iron or other nutrients to deliberately increase planktonic production in the open ocean as a measure to mitigate climate change.

Phil Boyd (left) and Cliff Law (right) receive the award from New Zealand IChemE Board member Jenny Culliford (centre). [Dave Allen]