SAEF scientists selected as finalists for 2024 Eureka Prizes
The research team Nick Golledge, Nerida Wilson, Sally Lau, Tim Naish and Jan Strugnell.
Professor Jan Strugnell and Dr Sally Lau in the lab at James Cook University.
SAEF’s Professor Jan Strugnell, Dr Sally Lau, and Dr Nerida Wilson have been named finalists in the 2024 Eureka Prize for their research, which used octopus DNA to discover that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has likely collapsed in the past.
The findings have been recognised by members of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) as the strongest evidence to date that sustained global warming above 1.5°C will result in an unstoppable collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
The team has been shortlisted in the category of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research, which recognises outstanding research that was only possible due to the integration of two or more disciplines.
The molecular biologists initiated a collaboration with a team of geologists to solve the mystery of whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet melted during the Last Interglacial around 125,000 years ago when temperatures were 0.5-1.5°C warmer than pre-industrial times.
DNA holds a genetic history of the past and can be used to look back in time to pinpoint when different populations of animals were breeding and exchanging genetic material. By comparing the genetic history of modern octopuses with reconstructions of ice-sheet models, the team took a novel approach to solve a question that had puzzled ice-sheet modellers since the 1970s.
In a scientific paper published in Science in late 2023, the researchers found genetic connectivity between populations of octopuses living on opposite sides of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet dating back to the Last Interglacial. This genetic connectivity would only be possible if the ice sheet completely collapsed, opening seaways and allowing the octopuses to travel and breed.
The SAEF researchers include Chief Investigator Professor Jan Strugnell and Research Fellow Dr Sally Lau both of whom are based at James Cook University. Meanwhile, Dr Nerida Wilson is a Partner Investigator based at the CSIRO, Western Australian Museum and the University of Western Australia. As molecular biologists, they investigate the evolution and function of marine organisms using genomic techniques, and between them, they have conducted a range of studies focused on the evolution of marine invertebrates in the Southern Ocean.
Professor Jan Strugnell said the team was delighted and honoured to be shortlisted for the prize.
“Interdisciplinary science can be very challenging and requires extra time and effort to learn new terminologies, scales, and approaches. However, it’s very rewarding, and we are delighted to have addressed this physical scientific question by applying genomics techniques.”
The annual Eureka Prizes are Australia’s national science awards, honouring excellence across the areas of research and innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science. The winners will be announced at a steamed and in-person ceremony at the Australia Museum on 4 September.
This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC); the Antarctic Science Platform; Thomas Davies Research grant (Australian Academy of Science); a David Pearse bequest, an Antarctic Science Bursary, the Antarctic Science Foundation, Australasian eResearch Organisations; CoSyst; the Academy of Finland and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) INSTANT program.