Richard de Hamel (aka the Marine Maestro) is a biologist who has had a career full of fun and adventure.
As a teenager, I ‘discovered’ about 40 previously unknown yellow-eyed penguin nests and soon was employed by Otago Museum to study them.
Heading to University, I was again pulled away for my skills in bird identification to work on riverbed birds, kakapo, kiwi, and Sub-Antarctic seabirds. That lead to a research degree (MSc) looking at what birds fed on and how they get their energy. An interest in marine ecology and insects had to follow!
In 1995 the Department of Conservation seconded me to live on an off shore island restoring the vegetation, while studying seabirds and tuatara.
After a second trip to the Sub-Antarctic to work on Albatross, I worked for the University of Otago based at their Marine Laboratory. Aquarium work in Dunedin and Nelson allowed me to try out some very cool Māori fishing techniques.
I have spent over 20 years making science come alive for thousands of students!
