Quick Facts
Biography
Wendy Alison Nelson is a New Zealand scientist and marine-life expert. She is one of New Zealand's leading authorities on seaweeds.
Professional life
Nelson started working at New Zealand's National Museum in the 1970s, where she studied with her mentor Nancy Adams.
She was appointed Curator of Botany at the National Museum when Nancy Adams retired in 1987.
From 1987 to 2002 (when she moved to work at NIWA), she documented the Te Papa seaweed collections, and added almost 8,000 new specimens.
She is currently a Professor of Biology Sciences at the University of Auckland and Principal Scientist - Marine Biology at NIWA.
Nelson is involved in CARIM (Coastal acidification - rate, impacts and management), a significant research project funded by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. The project is generating new knowledge on ocean acidification, to enhance protection and management of New Zealand coastal ecosystems.
She was a member of the New Zealand Conservation Authority for 8 years.
Awards
In 2008, Nelson was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the marine environment.
In 2016, Nelson won the Royal Society of New Zealand's Hutton Medal, which is awarded for outstanding work by a researcher in New Zealand in the Earth, plant and animal sciences. The Royal Society commented: "She has significantly expanded knowledge of New Zealand seaweeds and the evolutionary relationships between seaweeds worldwide. She has also campaigned against seaweed pests and advanced understanding of the ecological importance of coral seaweeds and their vulnerability to climate change."
Works
New Zealand Seaweeds: An Identification Guide. Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2013.