Meet Malcolm Clark

Meet Malcolm Clark

Where were you educated? What did you study?

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Marine Biology, then postgraduate work in fisheries ecology.

How did you become interested in the ocean?

My family for generations had been involved in the sea, either as ships officers, fishermen, or keen sailors and yachties. I also started sailing as a young kid, which is common in New Zealand where one is never far from the coast, and so the progression into marine biology was probably natural.

What do you study and why is it important?

I study seamount biodiversity, deepwater fisheries, and effects of trawling. These three are related, and are a focus of CenSeam. Seamounts can be a productive habitat and benthic fauna and fish species can be abundant in these areas. Deepwater fisheries for species like alfonsino, boarfish, cardinalfish and orange roughy occur on seamount features, and the localised impact of trawling can be substantial. Very little is known of what actually lives on seamounts - only 300-400 have been sampled out of a possible global total of nearer 100,000. We need to learn more about the fauna found on seamounts, how the communities are structured, how they function, and how fisheries can affect them - in order to manage seamount resources sustainably, and ensure biodiversity is maintained as well.

What do you enjoy about your work?

It is always challenging, often exciting, and never the same from day to day. My work has taken me from the North Sea to the Antarctic, from the surface to over a kilometre deep in a submersible. It is a fascinating world in the oceans, and there is so much we have yet to learn.

What are some of the challenges you face?

There is so much to do, and research offshore is expensive. It is hard to get enough funding together to carry out detailed research, and there is always a trade-off between examining one area in detail, and many more at a broader scale. The world of seamount biodiversity is very complex, and it is hard to sample the deep and capture the full range of biodiversity - animals are very good at not being caught!

What have you learned/discovered? What do you hope to learn?

The CenSeam programme is just beginning, but we hope to compile a lot of existing information, as well as foster new expeditions, to gain a much better understanding of seamount structure, ecosystem function, and how human activities can be managed to ensure conservation of seamount biodiversity.

How do you spend your spare time when not studying the ocean?

Water sports of sailing and whitewater kayaking, old house maintenance, and normal family events - following our 3 children's activities just about fills the day.