Best selling author praises Plymouth's marine science
15th June 2009
International best selling author Alanna Mitchell
highlighted the world-class vision of Plymouth’s marine science
community during a public lecture at the city’s University.
Returning to Plymouth after circling the globe and meeting the
world’s top marine scientists, Alanna Mitchell left the audience in
no doubt about the place that Plymouth holds on the international
marine science stage.
At one point describing the group of scientists as “a very rare
group of people” because of the breadth of their interests and the
way science is used to inform politicians and marine policymakers,
Alanna Mitchell praised them for their skill and courage in
highlighting some of the serious challenges faced by the
oceans.
Alanna Mitchell is a Canadian author and journalist,
specialising in investigating changes to the Earth’s life-support
systems, who travels the world in search of scientists at the
centre of what’s going on. She returned to Plymouth after spending
the last few years visiting the world’s top marine scientists to
gather evidence and hear first-hand how they view the future of our
oceans, bringing together the bleak outlook in her new book
‘Seasick – The hidden ecological crisis of the global ocean’.
During her tour of the leading marine science centres, Alanna
was drawn to Plymouth where she met and interviewed researchers
from the city’s own world-class marine laboratories that together
comprise the Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership (PMSP). Alanna
says she was delighted to return to the city and give a public
lecture at the University of Plymouth to share her conclusions with
the very scientists who helped shape her understanding: “Seasick
has become an international best-seller and at its heart is the
cutting-edge research being done in Plymouth – in the book I call
Plymouth “Plankton Central” and it is bringing the concept of ocean
change to the forefront of social and political agendas at the most
relevant time.”
“The UK is way ahead of most of the world on all the issues that
matter about the health of the planet and you all have special
roles in upcoming talks that could seal the planet’s destiny.”
The impact that Plymouth’s marine scientists had upon Alanna,
and their influence internationally, is reflected throughout the
pages of her book where she frequently refers to them and their
leading-edge science.