MIT Sea Grant coastal ecologist Judy Pederson recognized for her support of student at the International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions

MIT Sea Grant coastal ecologist Judy Pederson was recognized along with her colleague James Carlton from Williams College were recognized at the biannual International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions for their work supporting students. The International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions was initiated in large part due to Judy Pederson’s efforts and a small grant from NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program. It all started in 1997 when Judy and James formed a steering committee in hopes of advancing research in the field of marine invasive species. The first conference in 1999 was held on the MIT campus. The conferences, held every other year, offer prominent scientists and students who research marine invasive species an opportunity to share new and exciting findings. Conferences have been held across the county and abroad, most recently the 2016 conference was held in Sydney, Australia, where Judy presented research findings about northward migration of marine bioinvaders.From the beginning Judy and James felt it was critical to involve students in the conference, and offered funding to support student travel whenever funding was available. This recognition formalizes a mechanism for student and young investigator travel awards and will go a long way in making sure their legacy of supporting students continues. Congratulations Judy and Jim, and thank you for all your hard work!