Adina Paytan, a research professor in the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, has been honored with the 2019 A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in the Marine Sciences presented by the Royal Society of Canada. Paytan will receive the Huntsman Medal and give a public lecture in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on November 7.
The 2019 A.G. Huntsman Medal will be awarded to Paytan "in recognition of her discoveries in the paleoceanographic history of important elements used to recreate the geochemical history of the planet, and of outstanding contributions to understanding the biogeochemical links between global earth-ocean-atmosphere nutrient controls on carbon productivity and paleoclimate."
Paytan studies chemical and biological processes in the oceans, how they have changed over time, and how they are affected by human activities. An overarching goal of her research is to understand the processes and feedbacks operating in the Earth System and how they relate to global changes in climate and tectonics. In addition, she is interested in natural and anthropogenically induced perturbations that affect biogeochemical processes and their impact on humans and the environment.
A fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Association of Limnologists and Oceanographers (ASLO), and the Geochemical Society (GSA), Paytan is internationally recognized for her leadership and scientific accomplishments. Her awards and honors include the Dansgaard Award for Mid-Career Scientists, the AGU Rachel Carson Lecture, and the Petersen Foundation Excellence in Research Award. She has mentored many students and has coordinated a wide range of education and outreach initiatives.
Paytan received her Ph.D. in oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She came to UC Santa Cruz in 2007 as a research scientist in the IMS.
The Huntsman Award was established in 1980 by the Canadian marine science community to recognize excellence of research and outstanding contributions to marine sciences. It honors marine scientists of any nationality who have had and continue to have a significant influence on the course of marine scientific thought. The award is named in honor of Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman (1883–1973), a pioneer Canadian oceanographer and fishery biologist.
