For more than three decades Skúli Skúlason has devoted his research activity to asking some of the most fundamental questions in biology. How does diversity arise? What are the mechanisms that drive the very earliest stages of divergence? A combination of

elegantly crafted laboratory based experimental studies and a comparative approach in the field use naturally rapidly diverging fish populations to understand the evolutionary patterns found in nature, most notably using Arctic charr and the three-spined stickleback from his native Iceland. Skúli’s theoretical framework, and empirical testing of that framework, contributed considerably to the general shift in the acceptance that evolutionary divergence can occur in sympatry.

Peter has had a major impact on fish conservation globally over the last 30 years. Through his role as an environmental consultant for NGOs including the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club, and Surfers against Sewage, he has helped protect fish populations and provided expert advice to many local conservation organisations concerned about impacts of power plants, dams, desalination plants, water extraction and sewage discharges. He has acted as an expert witness on energy and port industries in both Europe and North America, and in the Peruvian Amazon he supported indigenous tribal nations whose rivers and streams were being exploited for mining. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Mamirauá Sustainable Development reserve in the Upper Amazon in Brazil (https://mamiraua.org/ ) which is now the largest freshwater nature reserve in the world, and he has played a pivotal role in training future generations of fish biologists through multiple books.

Michael Grant’s research focuses on conservation of threatened species in low income developing nations. Michael research uses a range of fisheries, conservation, and social science methods to understand the conservation status, threats, and uses and values of threatened species to local resources users in complex livelihood contexts. Of particular interest to Michael is the conservation of non-marine sharks and rays. Michael has conducted major research expeditions in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to collect information for future conservation planning of these overlooked species. Recently, Michael’s research has explored the use of vertebral chemistry to better understand the life history of non-marine sharks and rays, providing promising results for improved ageing and ecological applications. Within the shark conservation community, Michael is an active member of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group and is vice president of the Sawfish Conservation Society.