Scholarship honours freshwater research

The late Associate Prof Donald Scott of the University of Otago zoology department at Post Office...
The late Associate Prof Donald Scott of the University of Otago zoology department at Post Office Creek, near Lake Mahinerangi, in 1971. PHOTO: OTAGO FISH AND GAME
Donald Scott loved the whip of a fishing line being cast across a thriving river ecosystem.

He learned to fish the small burns of Scotland as a young boy and was fascinated by the bottom fauna.

So it should not be surprising that he went on to become a freshwater biologist, and spent much of his career working on research and freshwater conservation at the University of Otago.

Alongside his research and teaching career, the late zoology professor also served as a scientific adviser and elected councillor with the Otago Fish & Game Council, and was a Clutha Fisheries Trust trustee.

He left a valuable legacy in the success of the students he taught, in the research he did, in his work for Fish & Game, and in the protection of Otago and Southland’s rivers.

It is hoped his work will be continued by future students, by offering a new $5000 annual scholarship — the Donald Scott Memorial Scholarship in Freshwater Ecology.

Prof Scott’s wife Patricia said it aimed to inspire a fourth-year or honours student to continue the search for human understanding of the natural world, by enabling students to continue their studies and further their careers, contribute to the restoration of the health of freshwater ecosystems, and add to the enjoyment and recreational opportunities that rivers offer.

"What started out as a modest idea to remember him in some beneficial way, has grown into a substantial enterprise which will see a continuation of Donald’s research in freshwater ecology," Mrs Scott said.

The scholarship was established by the Otago Fish & Game Council, the Clutha Fisheries Trust, the University of Otago and Prof Scott’s family.

It will provide support for students conducting research into New Zealand’s freshwater ecology, informing best practice and sustainability for the management of fisheries, waterways and freshwater angling and sports fishing communities.

The scholarship will be administered by the University of Otago Foundation Trust and awarded annually until 2035. Fundraising is under way to extend it beyond this timeframe.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

 

 

 

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