Professor Karen Wiltshire, a leading marine ecologist and climate scientist from Trinity's School of Natural Sciences, has been honoured with the internationally renowned A.G. Huntsman Medal. The award, presented by the Royal Society of Canada, recognises her innovative and interdisciplinary research in climate science, as well as her significant, long-lasting impact on the field through capacity building and bringing new voices into the marine sciences globally.
A Global Career Championing Climate Science
Prof. Wiltshire, who directs The Climate Gateway at Trinity, is known worldwide for fostering excellence in climate research and advancing collaborative, science-based solutions to global climate challenges.
A Dublin native, she studied Environmental Science at Trinity before completing her PhD and Habilitation in Hydrobiology at the University of Hamburg. Over her four-decade career, she has held distinguished research and leadership roles across Europe, including posts at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), the University of St Andrews, and the Max Planck Institute of Limnology.
A career-defining achievement was saving the Helgoland Roads Time Series, a unique, long-term dataset on marine change. She successfully integrated this data into global climate databases, revealing some of the first warming-related changes at the base of the North Sea food web.
Influencing Policy and Empowering Youth
Beyond research, Prof. Wiltshire has profoundly shaped international science policy through contributions to IPCC, UNEP, and SCOR-UNESCO. She was the first female Chair of POGO (Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean) and directed the NIPPON-POGO} Centre of Excellence. Furthermore, she co-founded SeaNetwork, an ocean science diplomacy initiative dedicated to coordinating training programs across countries. She and her team are dedicated advocates for global capacity building, marine sustainability, and climate resilience.
Valuing the Ocean and Long-Term Science
Prof. Wiltshire received the medal from His Honour, The Honourable Mike Savage, ONS, in Canada, where she delivered a lecture titled "In the Fast Lane: Humans, Oceans and Climate."
Upon accepting the award, she passionately stated:
“The Ocean is our planetary life belt - it is essential for regulating the climate and we humans must realise this and treat it with respect and conscience.”
She thanked those who believe in the value of long-term data and international marine education, adding, “Every day I meet a member of the public who wants to really understand what’s going on in the oceans and with the climate, as a scientist this is the most positive encouragement one can hope for.”
Above: Prof. Wiltshire receives the A.G. Huntsman Medal from His Honour, The Honourable Mike Savage, ONS.
Prof. Sinéad Ryan, Dean of Research at Trinity, offered her warmest congratulations, calling Prof. Wiltshire a pioneer oceanographer and biologist and a deserving addition to the list of distinguished recipients recognised for their groundbreaking research.
In her lecture, Prof. Wiltshire recounted how the ocean has shifted from being a 'frontier' in the 1960s to being recognised today as a critical resource and our greatest ally in buffering climate change. She emphasised that establishing long-term monitoring and training innovative young communities are vital for building a resilient future in the era of global warming.