Maui's dolphins project: the people

People behind Maui's dolphin conservation in New Zealand

Dr Liz Slooten is one of New Zealand's leading marine biologists. She is currently working with WWF on research to find out more about the distribution and abundance of the Maui's dolphin.

We interviewed her to find out what it takes to be a marine biologist.

What does your job involve?
About 30% research, 30% teaching and 30% administration. You have to work hard to ensure that the teaching and administration components don't grow to fill the time available. The teaching includes supervising graduate students.

What do you like most about your job?
The research, spending time in the field with the animals has to be the "icing on the cake". But I don't think I'd want to do only that. It is really satisfying to pass on the information you've gathered in the field, and the insights you've gained from it through analysis and interpretation.

It would be pointless to gather all that information and not pass it on, especially since our research is so strongly conservation oriented. It's important to ensure that it is used to inform conservation management decisions.

What do you dislike about the job?
The "paper pushing" involved which can be time consuming. It can also be very frustrating when dealing with a serious conservation problem, like bycatch of Maui's and Hector's dolphins, when what seems like a number one priority in terms of conservation isn't necessary a number one priority for others (e.g. government officials).

As a biologist you tend to think that your work is done when you've finished the lengthy process of gathering the data that show that there is a serious conservation problem. But that's often only the start of it.

You have to make sure that you not only ensure that the decision makers that can solve the problem receive that information, absorb it, believe it, but also that they act on it. That can be a huge task.

How would you describe yourself?
A marine/conservation biologist. Someone who is strongly committed to gathering information that will help us to better protect and understand the environment.

I can't imagine studying something (or doing other work) if I didn't think I could "make a difference" to the way that people interact with the environment and marine mammals in particular.