Global expert now a SAMS prof

A MARINE ecologist who is a global authority on the impacts of invasive non-native species has been been awarded a professorship from the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Prof Elizabeth Cottier-Cook has earned a worldwide reputation through her work at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) UHI in Oban, which has also focused on the development of novel biosecurity techniques to minimise their introduction.
She has collaborated with colleagues in China, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, the US, numerous countries in the Mediterranean and most recently the Philippines, Indonesia and Tanzania.
She also leads a £6 million project which seeks to improve the sustainability of the global seaweed cultivation industry – GlobalSeaweed STAR.
On top of this, Cottier-Cook runs the prestigious ACES international aquaculture masters course, which has attracted 45 students from 24 different countries to SAMS since 2015.
‘It is a great honour to have been awarded a professorship from the University of the Highlands and Islands, a university that has been growing in stature, year on year, and I am proud to play a part in that development,’ said Cottier-Cook.
‘SAMS UHI has been very supportive of me in my career and has allowed me to pursue topics I am passionate about, both in terms of the academic research and teaching.’
Cottier-Cook’s association with SAMS began during her PhD studies in invertebrate aquaculture. Although attached to Napier University, Edinburgh, she was based at SAMS during her studies.
She joined the association at post doctorate level in 2001 and in 2006 became a lecturer in marine biology. In 2014, she was promoted to senior lecturer and became head of the SAMS UHI – United Nations University Associate Institute.
University of the Highlands and Islands principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Clive Mulholland, said: ‘The title of professor is the highest level of academic achievement which can be awarded. It is reserved for individuals who are recognised as leaders in their field and have demonstrated excellence in their work.
‘Professor Cottier-Cook is a deserving recipient of this title. She has forged links across the world and made an important contribution to our understanding of the effects of non-native species on the marine environment.’
SAMS UHI director Prof Nicholas Owens said: ‘Prof Cottier-Cook is an excellent researcher and lecturer, but I also regard her as a superb role model for our young female students and researchers.
‘Working part-time, she has forged and maintained a global reputation as a leader in her field of study and has proven that through hard work and a passion for your subject, you can reach your academic goals.’
Cottier-Cook is currently a member of the Scottish Government Working Group on Non Native Species, which produced the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, the Scottish Government Working Group on Marine Non Native Species, ICES Working Group on introductions and transfers of marine organisms (WGITMO), University of the Highlands and Islands Athena Swann Working Group Member, UNESCO Expert Network and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Picture: Professor Cottier-Cook at work