News 2014
OBE for UCC Zoology Graduate
A UCC Zoology graduate has been awarded an OBE in the 2014 New Year's Honours List in the UK.
Dr. Martin Collins, who completed his PhD in what was then the Department of Zoology from 1990 to 1994, received the honour in recognition of his "services to science and conservation in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands".
Martin is currently the Chief Executive of the South Georgia Government and its Director of Fisheries. South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands are a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic. A remote and inhospitable location, it is currently home to a British Government Officer, as well as staff from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), with whom Martin worked for seven years.
After completeing his PhD in Cork, Martin lectured in Aberdeen for a while before joining BAS. His current role sees him responsible for fisheries management, tourism and the environment.
Martin's research in UCC was supervised by Professor Gavin Burnell and was on "The biology of the squid Loligo steenstrup in Irish Waters". In a recent email to Prof. Burnell, Martin reports: "I'm currently on South Georgia, just keeping an eye on various projects that are in progress, including restoration of historic buildings and the start of the second (and hopefully) final phase of reindeer eradication!"