Highest honour for environmental biology researcher

Professor John Raven, a principal Investigator in the Division of Environmental and Applied Biology in the School of Life Sciences, was honoured recently with the presentation of honorary Life Membership to the British Phycological Society - the highest honour that the Society gives.

Professor Raven's research interests include understanding how the world's oceans remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and how the resulting acidification of the oceans affects the organisms that live there. He led a major Royal Society report last year which showed that our oceans are being acidified, with potentially very significant consequences for some ocean life.

the primary criterion for honorary membership is great distinction in the science of phycology, which is the study of algae. The society has over 400 members and permits a maximum of 10 Honorary Life Members.