Professor Rod Wilson's inaugural lecture

During my career I have been incredibly lucky to be taught by, collaborate with, and teach or supervise, some amazingly talented and fun people who have maintained my childhood curiosity about the world around us. This good fortune has extended to visiting fascinating places and studying weird and wonderful aquatic animals from the most extraordinary environments (e.g., sub-zero Antarctic waters, highly acidic Amazon streams, alkaline lakes, super-salty lagoons, the deep ocean). I particularly enjoy challenging fundamental ideas about how water, salts and gases are handled within animals. My research also aims to address major environmental challenges our planet faces. These range from localised pollution to global issues of acid rain and climate change, as well as trying to help aquatic food production become truly sustainable. In my talk I hope to entertain you with a few stories about some of the animals (and their remarkable adaptations and the global processes they can influence), as well as people and places that I have experienced along the way.