Chathams ideal spot for scientific gathering
Often referred to as a "canary in the coalmine", the Chatham Islands serve as a natural barometer for climate and ecological change.
That is why it makes it the ideal place to hold a gathering for high-profile scientists, conservation leaders and environmental experts.
The fifth annual Chatham Islands Festival of Science on August 11-17 is expected to draw people from around the world, including scientists and researchers from the University of Otago.
Festival organiser and Chatham Islands Tourism manager Jackie Gurden said the Chathams were one of New Zealand's most remote inhabited regions, and for more than 150 years, scientists from around the world had visited to study everything from geology and climate, to marine life and astronomy.
International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Protected Areas vice-chairman Lou Sanson will be the keynote speaker at this year's Chatham Islands Festival of Science. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The event will showcase cutting-edge research and conservation efforts in the area.
"This festival raises awareness of the islands' crucial environmental role, both nationally and globally."
Local residents would also attend the event, offering visiting experts a rare opportunity to engage with the local community directly with scientific research that had often remained behind the scenes.
Major themes of the festival would be the presentation of key scientific findings, a forum for discussion on future conservation strategies, and the Chatham Islands' aspiration to become a certified Dark Sky Sanctuary.
University of Otago zoology and ecology senior lecturer Dr Travis Ingram with a Chatham Islands fish. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The keynote speaker for the festival will be International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Protected Areas vice-chairman and former Department of Conservation director-general Lou Sanson, who will share insights from his global conservation work and highlight the international significance of local initiatives.
University of Otago zoology and ecology senior lecturer Dr Travis Ingram will also be presenting on the results of undergraduate student work on how lake webs will be affected by climate change.
He will be joined by PhD student Grace Fortune-Kelly, who will present on the impacts of sea-level rise on the Chatham Islands' coastal lakes, specifically in relation to mudfish.
Earth Science New Zealand fisheries chief scientist Dr Richard O'Driscoll will also share findings from decades of research on the Chatham Rise — one of New Zealand's most productive fishing grounds — while the Ministry for Primary Industries will present new strategies to support the recovery of the paua fishery.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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