Visiting Professor To Take NZ Experience To London

*Media Release*

Leading Wellington Marine Biologist Appointed Visiting Professor To Take NZ Experience To London

The NZ-UK Link Foundation has announced that its second Visiting Professorship has been awarded to Professor Jonathan Gardner of Victoria University, Wellington. He will take up his appointment in early October and will be based at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.

New Zealand is generally regarded as a world leader in marine protection because it has established 33 full ‘no take’ marine reserves, with several others planned. The UK has three statutory marine nature reserves in addition to a number of other types of marine protected areas.

Professor Gardner is a marine biologist with research expertise in the fields of marine protected areas (MPAs), biodiversity conservation and population genetics. During his time in the UK, Professor Gardner intends to bring together these fields to address the UK’s new Marine Bill and NZ’s MPAs Policy and Implementation Plan. The expectation is that his work will contribute to a greater understanding of how MPAs can most effectively be set up and run to achieve their conservation goals and help protect marine biodiversity.

Professor Gardner commented, “Worldwide, it is recognised that marine resources are depleted and that many of man’s actions now threaten marine biodiversity. There is increasing international recognition that various forms of marine reserves or MPAs provide substantial conservation benefits in terms of protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring the health of the marine environment. There is also now recognition of the fact that the best way to protect marine biodiversity is not through a series of *ad hoc *reserves, but through a network of interconnected and self-supporting reserves. This thinking is set out in current government policy for both the UK’s Marine Bill and New Zealand’s MPA Strategy. The subject is therefore common to both countries, at the forefront of marine conservation planning, and has wider international relevance.”

NZ-UK Link’s Chairman Mark Horton said “Our first Visiting Professor Margaret Wilson had a major impact in London comparing New Zealand’s experience of electoral and legal reform with the UK. Marine conservation is another critical topic and I am delighted the Link can help expert opinion in both countries learn from one another.”

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