UKOA scientist honoured with OBE
4th January 2011
UKOA scientist, Dr Carol Turley, has been awarded an OBE for
‘services to science’ in the New Year’s Honours list. Carol, now a
senior scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Knowledge
Exchange Coordinator for UKOA, has worked in marine science for
over thirty years, building a reputation, influencing, those she
works with, and inspiring the next generation of scientists.
“It has been a wonderful privilege to explore and discover how
the oceans work, and to be recognised by this award is a surprise
and an honour. Over the years I have collaborated with many great
scientists and I hope they feel they can share this award, science
is, after all a joint endeavour that develops over a long period of
time. Everyone I have worked with, both at PML and around the
world, is being honoured today”, she said.
Professor Stephen de Mora, PML’s Chief
Executive, was delighted with the news:
“We at Plymouth Marine Laboratory are both
pleased and proud that Carol Turley has been awarded an OBE in the
2011 New Years Honours List. Her service to science has been
notable. The oceans used to be considered as a safe repository for
the carbon dioxide generated by fossil fuel combustion; Carol was
one of the first people to consider potential adverse effects this
might have.
The ‘other CO2 problem’ is ocean
acidification; that this topic is now so well known and recognised
internationally as a significant issue is in no small part due to
Carol Turley. Initially she promoted scientific investigations of
the effect of increased acidity on marine life and the environment.
Subsequently, she used a science-based approach to advise policy
makers and the general public of the environmental consequences of
ocean acidification. The most recent example of her efforts was
seen at COP16 in Cancun, whereby global leaders took note of this
key topic. This distinction honours many years of dedicated work to
understanding, interpreting, educating, and advising the marine
community, in its broadest sense, of ocean acidification as a
global problem.”