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Hutton Award recipients

View recipients of the Hutton award

2023 recipients

  • Carmen Hoffbeck (University of Auckland) to investigate the tuatara microbiome: environmental influences and conservation implications.
  • Eva- Maria Hanninger (Massey University) to undertake age assessment in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in New Zealand waters.

2022 recipients

  • Courtney Ogilvy (University of Auckland) for research into the Foraging Ecology of Hector’s and Māui dolphins.

2021 recipients

  • Ayla Stenning (University of Otago) "Undertaking research centred on the Dunedin Volcano, focusing on unravelling the eruptive history and refining the constructional model of the volcano with particular emphasis upon the earliest activity and the onset of volcanism"
  • Emily Palmer (Massey University) "The life history of New Zealand common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)."
  • Trevyn Toone (University of Auckland/NIWA) "Experimental Restoration of Green-Lipped Mussels to the Intertidal and Shallow-water Margins of Kenepuru Sound."
  • Leo Carlo Sarion (University of Auckland) "For elucidating the systematics of the coralline algal genus Arthrocardia in New Zealand."
  • Oliver McLeod (University of Waikato, Geoscience Society of New Zealand, and Cheal Surveyors) "A new geological map of the Mt Karioi Volcano, Aotearoa"
  • Annabelle Cranswick (University of Auckland) - "Southern Right Whale Eubalaena australis – Tohorā Foraging Ecology and Distribution"
  • Derek Sauer (University of Auckland)" Inner ear morphology and sound localisation in sharks"
  • Emma Betty (Massey University) "Determining the effects of environmental pollutants on the health of a marine sentinel – the longfinned pilot whale (Globicephala melas edwardii)"
  • Eve Aitken (University of Otago) "Between a rock and a sustainable place: A geo-ecological study linking Otago Schist habitat to the survival of lizards at Macraes Mine"
  • Dr Rodrigo B. Salvador (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa) "Native or invader? Solving the mystery of the land snail Paralaoma servilis."

2020 recipients

  • Kendall Morman, Auckland University of Technology, "Examine the impacts of fire and mycorrhizal colonisation on plant invasion in tussock grasslands."
  • Hannah Heynderickx, University of Otago, "Does pH variability in NZ kelp forests impact biofilm composition?"
  • Weixuan Ning, Massey University, "Phylogenomic analysis of New Zealand olyploidy Azorella (Apiaceae)."
  • Anya Leenman, University of British Columbia (Formerly, University of Auckland), "Climate change and alluvial fans: Impacts on flood hazards in mountain regions – Southern Alps."
  • Lachie Scarsbrook, University of Otago, "Acquisition of New Zealand’s first ancient herpetofaunal mitochondrial genomes."
  • Sophia Tsang, University of Auckland, "Using paleo-temperature profiles under lava flows to estimate their durations."
  • Michelle Roper, Massey University, "Exploring the evolution of vocal complexity in songbirds (passerines)."
  • Beth Hinton, Massey University, "Investigating sulphur isotope (δ34S) values in prey of long-finned pilot whales stranded in New Zealand waters for use in foraging ecology"
  • Jean-François Doherty, University of Otago, "Ethology and interactions of insects harbouring hairworms (Nematomorpha)."
  • Celia Balemi, University of Auckland, "Are Centrostephanus rodgersii increasing on northern New Zealand reefs and what ecological impacts do they have?"

2019 recipients

  • Shreya Kanakiya, University of Auckland, "Determining geophysical signatures of hydrothermal alteration to delineate collapse-prone volcanic flanks."
  • Ohad Peleg, University of Auckland, "Quantitatively estimating the health of shallow rocky reefs around the Hauraki Gulf"
  • Jenny Ann Sweatman, Massey University, "Using molecular methods and modelling to understand the population history and demography of the Long-spined urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii, in New Zealand"
  • Jacques de Satge, Massey University, "The associations between native avifauna and mangrove ecosystems in New Zealand
  • Grace Tocker, Victoria University of Wellington, "Characterisation of the diet of a nationally critical seabird species in New Zealand and investigating the level of heavy metal and plastic pollution to which these birds are exposed."
  • Matthew Bennion, University of Waikato, Aquatic animal health, inparticular of New Zealand surf clams, Paphies subtriangulata and P. ventricosa."
  • Eunij Park, University of Otago, "Microsporidian species in New Zealand: hidden diversity, ecological role and phylogeny, focusing on crustacean species."
  • Mallory Sea, University of Auckland, "Restoring endemic green-lipped mussel beds in New Zealand’s coastal soft sediments, regaining ecosystem services otherwise lost without these mussels."
  • Stephanie Junior, University of Otago, "Deep-earth metal geochemistry and the associated global mantle replenishing mechanisms."
  • Ganges Lim, Victoria University of Wellington, "Looking at a number of under-studied aspects of how avian foragers perceive visual signals in plants at the community scale."
  • Marshall Palmer, University of Otago, "The geochemistry of new Zealand scheelite."
  • Cassandra Mark-Chan, University of Auckland, "The multifacted camouflage of the north Island lichen moth, Declana atronivea"

2018 recipients

  • Alexandra Lischka, Auckland University of Technology, “Mercury concentrations in arrow squids and long-finned pilot whales in NZ”.
  • Emma Feenstra, Massey University, “To disturb or not disturb - A comparison of invasive and non-invasive methods for monitoring cryptic species using Rakiura tokoeka”.
  • Eron Raines, Victoria University Wellington, “Geologically recent global erosion rates as determined by a novel combination of geophysical and geochemical methods focusing on the Ruahine, Kaikoura and Southern Alps of NZ”.
  • Heidi Meudt, Te Papa, “Incorporating pollen data to distinguish southern hemisphere forget-me-nots with integrative taxonomy”.
  • Heshani Manula Edirisinghe, Massey University, “Phenotypic variation in ladybirds”.
  • Irene Middleton, University of Otago, To better understand Marine debris: “An underappreciated habitat for juvenile fishes in New Zealand's pelagic environment”.
  • Matthew House , University of Waikato, “Analysis of soil carbon and nitrogen stocks under paired pastoral & maize sites in Waikato, New Zealand”.
  • Matthew Ryan, Victoria University Wellington, To undertake an extraction of fossil pollen from sediments and long calcite records collected from NZ caves to produce the first accurate reconstruction of key intervals from cave sequences in NZ.
  • Michael Ofman, University of Otago, “Fracture Damage Zones of the Glade Darran Fault, Fiordland, New Zealand'”.
  • Sarah Herbert, Victoria University Wellington, “Habitat reconciliation for lizard conservation in pest-invaded environments”
  • Sebastian Pitman, University of Canterbury, “Geological research on the beaches in the Pegasus Bay, Canterbury”.
  • Warwick Allen, Lincoln University, “Incorporating indirect interactions into the invasion framework: advancing from pattern to process”.

2017 recipients

  • Andrew Douie, Waikato University, for research entitled “Reconstructing Climate and Ecology from Early Pleistocene Leaf Fossils”.
  • David Galvez, Massey University, for research entitled “Bird Ecology and Behaviour”.              
  • Stephie Tay, University of Otago, for research entitled “Environmental Geochemistry (toxicity) of Historic Mine Tailings at Alexander Mine in the Reefton Goldfield”    
  • Caitlin Blain, University of Auckland, for research entitled “Increased coastal turbidity on the productivity, health, and resilience of kelp forests in the Hauraki Gulf”      
  • Mirja Heinrich, University of Aucklan, for research entitled “Hazards Associated with the Eruptive History of Mt Tongariro”    
  • Theresa Cole, University of Otago, for research entitled “Genetic Relationships of Crested Penguins”          
  • Fasil Taddese Wolebu, University of Otago, for research entitled “Reconstructing Life History of Estuarine Triplefin”    
  • Hua Zha, University of Auckland for research entitled “Investigating the causative agents of tail fan necrosis in New Zealand Spiny Crayfish”              
  • Johannes Fischer, Victoria University of Wellington, for research entitled “Conservation of the South Georgian Diving Petrel”
  • Scott McMaster, Massey University, for research entitled “Investigation into the occurrence of heavy metal and radionuclide containing minerals in Taranaki ironsands”
  • Melissa Griffin, Deakin University Victoria Australia’ “Harem polygynous mating system of the Auckland Tree Weta”
  • Bridgette Farnworth, University of Waikato, for research entitled “Anti-predator behaviour of wild ship rats in response to direct and indirect visual cues of predation risk”
  • Oliver McLeod, University of Waikato, for research entitled “Petrogenetic history of the North Island’s largest Basaltic Volcano “
  • Craig MacDonell, University of Otago, for research entitled “Photogrammetric, image classification and change detection techniques to develop greater understanding of how coastal environments, especially those with restoration efforts can be monitored over time”
  • Marie-Caroline Lefort, Unitech – Institute of Technology, for research entitled “Study of hosts (either plant or animal), and the influence of such on native or detrimental invertebrate species in a zoo’s grounds”

2016 recipients

  • Anna Probert, University of Auckland, for research  entitled “Assessing risk to native ecosystems”          
  • Chris Tulley, University of Otago, for research  entitled “Investigating metasomatic reactions that occur within the Livingstone Fault” 
  • Christina Painting, University of Auckland, for research  entitled “Trade-offs in contest versus sperm competition structures in a New Zealand armed weevil”                                          
  • Jenni Hopkins, Victoria University of Wellington, for research  entitled “Geology-tephra geochemistry and chronostratigraphy of the large silicic eruptions from the central North Island and Coromandel volcanic systems”                   
  • Leena Riekkola, University of Auckland, for research  entitled “The movement ecology and population recovery of Oceania’s humpback whales”            
  • Luke Easton, University of Otago, for research  entitled “Taxonomy and genetic management for threatened New Zealand native frogs”
  • Marie Goeritz, University of Auckland, for research  entitled  “Sound production and sound-elicited behaviours in the NZ paddle crab Ovalipes catharus”
  • Matthew Tarling, University of Otago, for research entitled “The Livingstone Fault: a case study in faulting and slip dynamics in ultramafic rocks”
  • Matthew Vaughan, University of Otago, for research entitled “Understanding the flow of ice in glaciers and ice sheets”                
  • Rosalyn Putland, University of Auckland, for research entitled  “The use  of passive acoustics as a monitoring tool”       
  • Sandra Hansen, University of Auckland, for research entitled “Understanding how the resilience of kelp forest communities is impacted by sedimentation”                 
  • Shaun Eaves, Victoria University of Wellington, for research entitled “Geological field investigation of a previously unrecognised landslide deposit situated in the central Southern Alps”    
  • Stephane Boyer, UniTec, for research entitled “Trophic interactions in natural and agricultural landscapes and the development of new molecular tools for bioprotection and conservation research”        
  • Uwe Kaulfuss, University of Otago, for research  entitled “Study of highly diverse and amazingly well–preserved fossil insects from a newly discovered lake deposit at Hindon Maar in Otago”

 2015 recipients

  • Alexander Boast, University of Auckland, “Palaeoecology and ancient DNA of the kakapo”
  • Brit Finucci, Victoria University, “Biology and ecology of poorly known deep sea sharks caught as bycatch”
  • Elaine Smid, University of Auckland, “Investigating time scales of volcanic processes using NZ models”
  • Heather Braid, AUT, “Resolving the taxonomic status of rare squid using genetics and morphology”
  • Henry Lane, University of Otago, “Zoology-DNZ sequencing of Bonamia in NZ”
  • Jenny Hillman, University of Auckland, “Cross habitat connectivity and its role in the delivery of marine ecosystem services”
  • Josie Crawshaw, University of Otago, “Role of bethnic in fauna facilitating denitrification in coastal eutrphic lagoons”
  • Matthew Vaughan, University of Otago, “ Peltier cooled experimental apparatus: prototype development”
  • Simon Alder, University of Otago, “Investigating mechanics of fault reactivation during basin inversion”
  • Trudi Webster, University of Otago, “Southern Right Whales acoustic behavior and ambient noise”

2014 recipients

  • D. Cramp , Parliament, “Primary Production Select Committee To investigate, study and understand the paramaters of Drone Congregation Areas of Honey Bees”
  • P. Craiger, University of Auckland, “Evolution and population structure of New Zealand reef fish”
  • C. McLeod, University of Otago, “To investigate the potential increase in metabolic demands experienced by infected vs. uninfected marine gastropods in acidified seawater”
  • N. Riordan, University of Otago, “Geologic mapping and geochemical analysis, to determine the character, age and evolution of basement rocks along the Papahaua Range between the Buller and Mokihinui Rivers”
  • F. Nelson, University of Otago, “New Zealand’s marine and freshwater basins and what magnetic minerals contained in these sediment traps can tell us about NZ’s climate and environment.”

2013 recipients

  • Marleen Baling
  • Juan Carlos Garcia Ramirez
  • Jamie Wood

2012 recipients

  • Anna Carter
  • Jessie Prebble
  • Kirsten Rodgers

2011 recipients

  • Amy Adams
  • Tom Brookman
  • Kyle Morrison

2010 recipients

  • Catherine Bryan
  • Kate Calcott
  • Ellen Cieraad
  • Phillip Cochrane
  • Bastian Egeter
  • Andrew Gregg and Stephanie Rowe

2009 recipients

  • Monica Awasthy
  • Nicola Beer
  • Lucy Bridgman
  • Gesine Pufal
  • Sarah Wells

2008 recipients

  • Shauna Baillie

2007 recipients

  • Ian McLeod

2005 recipients

  • Karen Stockin

2004 recipients

  • Peter Conway
  • Nicky Wiseman

2002 recipients

  • Michael Eagle

2001 recipients

  • Ron Gardner

2000 recipients

  • Ian Macadie
  • Robert Raven
  • Leigh Bull

1997 recipients

  • Ron Gardner