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Professor Anya Waite of the UWA Oceans Institute has been elected to the board of one of the world's foremost international organisations for multidisciplinary freshwater and ocean researchers.

Professor Waite was recently elected to the board of directors of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO).

Professor Waite is a researcher at The Oceans Institute and also UWA's School of Environmental Systems Engineering.

Her work involves researching the productivity in our regional oceans and seas, including work around Ningaloo Reef and the feeding habits of western rock lobster larvae. WA's western rock lobster fishery is crucial marine resource. The industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year and regarded as Australia's most valuable single-species fishery.

"It's exciting to be given the opportunity to help set priorities for one of the premier scientific organisations operating internationally," Professor Waite said.

"I think this is a sign that Australian oceanography has come of age in terms of influencing the global arena."

Professor Waite said she hoped to highlight the role of Indian Ocean region in her work with the association.

"I hope to bring a southern hemisphere and Indian Ocean focus to ASLO, highlighting the importance of the world's least studied ocean fringed by some of the most rapidly developing global economies," she said.

The association (which recently changed its name from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography ) was formed in 1948. It is based in Texas and has members in 58 countries.

Media references

Prof. Anya Waite , UWA Oceans Institute, (+61 8) 6488 3082

Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716