In brief: Honour for NIWA scientist

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

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]