Dr Ocean Mercier - Moana Project Researcher - Awarded 2019 Callaghan Medal

Congratulations to Dr Ocean Mercier who last week was awarded the Callaghan Medal from the Royal Society Te Apārangi for her pioneering work to engage audiences in science and mātauranga Māori.

Dr Mercier is a Moana Project Research Scientist and collaborator where she will contribute to exploring how ocean science and traditional knowledge can enhance iwi management of coastal and ocean ecosystems in their rohe (region).  

“We are delighted to have Dr Ocean Mercier bringing her exceptional knowledge and mana to the Moana Project. She is an integral part of the He Papa Moana team in our project, which is exploring mātauranga Māori in the context of ocean circulation and marine management. As part of this Dr Mercier is specifically looking at the concept of cross-cultural knowledge exchange platforms” says Prof Moninya Roughan, who is the Research Director of the five year research project.

Previously Dr Mercier has said, mātauranga is not widely known or used in oceanographic sciences. This strand of the project brings together leading Māori researchers, postdoctoral researchers, PhD, Masters and undergraduate students, building on the legacy of Māori as oceanographers, which could significantly refine our knowledge of ocean behaviour. In addition, 25% of the Moana Project students and postdocs are Māori.

The Moana Project aims to support iwi rangatiratanga (sovereignty) over their coastal resources. Working with iwi the findings from the Moana Project will be brought together to create an Iwi Marine Planning Tool, with which to assess the impact of ocean changes on iwi interests.

For more information on Dr Ocean Mercier and the 2019 Callaghan Medal – see Royal Society article HERE.