18 April 2007

Appointment of Director of the Centre for Remote Environments

Mr Gordon Liddle has been appointed Director of the Centre for Remote Environments at the University of Dundee.

Gordon was previously employed as Operations Manager for the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), a post he had held since 1997. He was primarily responsible for a wide range of environmental, scientific, technical and financial aspects of governance for the GSGSSI, a UK Overseas Territory.

The Centre for Remote Environment, based within the College of Art, Science and Engineering at the University of Dundee, encompasses Project Atlantis, a research group based in Dundee created to provide environmental educational resources through digital media.

Recent projects include producing a series of South Georgia Environmental Briefing DVDs, developing and production of the South Georgia website and brochure and the development of an exhibition centre based at Discovery House in South Georgia.

Project Atlantis offers a wide range of information about the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia’s ecosystems, natural beauty and historical heritage and by providing access to environmental information online allows a better understanding of the environmental challenges in the South Atlantic region, including the conservation and protection issues facing South Georgia.

Gordon will play a key role in leading the existing Project Atlantis research and consultancy team. He plans to develop and extend the research portfolio of the group to both polar and sub-polar regions. The research themes will include marine and fisheries, environment and ecology, industrial and cultural heritage as well as related technologies.

"My intention is to build on the extraordinary footing created by Brigadier David Nicholls, who created Project Atlantis and sadly died last year," said Gordon.

"The purpose of the new post is to develop interdisciplinary research focussing on issues which affect the world's most remote environments. It is also planned that the research will go hand in hand with a strong consulting element."

"Among the most important projects we already have underway is assisting the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands with a scheme to install hydro-electric power on South Georgia. This is new work commissioned by the Government there who hope to see the island powered by a carbon free source by the end of 2008."

For further information on Project Atlantis see: www.atlantishome.org

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk