L to R: Professor Hugh Possingham, Mr Brian Sherman AM (Sherman Foundation),
Her Excellency Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General, Dr Ian Ball and Mr Matt Watts receive their prize.
Mr Matt Watts, Dr Ian Ball and Professor Hugh Possingham awarded the Sherman Eureka prize for Environmental Research - Marxan:Software for desinging networks of protected areas.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's greatest environmental treasures. But its size and fragility have made the ecosystem difficult to protect.
That was before Marxan revolutionised conservation planning. In 2004, this cutting-edge software program helped rezone the Great Barrier Reef, increasing the size of the Marine Park from 5% to 33% of the region.
In recognition of this impact, the Marxan Development Team has won this year's Sherman Eureka Prize for Environmental Research.
Marxan is considered to be the most significant contribution to conservation biology to emerge from Australia's research community. The software program evolved out of a PhD thesis by Dr Ian Ball, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts; in collaboration with his supervisor, Professor Hugh Possingham and Matthew Watts, The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland.
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are the most prestigious awards in Australian science. Winners were announced last night in Sydney, at a star-studded formal dinner, attended by the country's most inspiring minds.
Turning twenty this year, ‘The Eurekas,' as they are fondly known, have become the most coveted science awards in this country. Every scientist knows a ‘eureka' moment comes after decades of singular dedication, deep inquiry and rich collaboration. Receiving an Australian Museum Eureka Prize is regarded as a pinnacle achievement for any Australian scientist.
Marxan, which works for both marine and land-based reserves, is now the most widely-used conservation planning software program in the world. This is due to its capacity to simultaneously reflect social, economic and conservation goals.
In a recent conservation stocktake of the Australian continent, the powerful Marxan program could consider access to waterways, vegetation types, bird and threatened species habitats, drought refuges and public and private land use.
"Marxan translates the latest advances in conservation biology into a framework that is virtually instantly accessible to conservation managers and biologists. Up till now, this knowledge transfer has involved delays of 20 to 50 years," says Frank Howarth.
The success of Marxan in the Great Barrier Reef rezoning established the program as a world leader, and has led to its usage in more than 100 countries. Amazingly, it's free for anyone to download, making it accessible to developing countries.
Currently, Marxan is being used by the Federal Government to develop a marine conservation plan for Commonwealth waters (out to 320 kilometres) off South and Western Australia - from about Adelaide, to Perth, and North into subtropical waters. This is just one of several rezonings that will use the software; to create the biggest systematically designed marine reserve system on the planet.
The $10,000 Sherman Eureka Prize for Environmental Research highlights outstanding research being undertaken in Australia that addresses critical environmental issues, and the leading role often played by Australian research in identifying solutions to environmental problems and to the improvement of the natural environment.