Dana Bergstrom

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Dana Bergstrom
Dana Bergstrom.jpg
Born1962 (age 6162)
NationalityAustralian
Alma mater Macquarie University
Scientific career
FieldsAntarctic ecology
Institutions Australian Antarctic Division
Website Bergstrom at the Australian Antarctic Division

Dana Michelle Bergstrom is a senior researcher at the Australian Antarctic Division most notable for her work on identifying and mitigating risks against Antarctic and Sub Antarctic Ecosystems.

Contents

Early life and education

Bergstrom is from Sydney, Australia. [1] She went to Hunters Hill High School and undertook her undergraduate study at Macquarie University (Sydney). Her postgraduate study was also Macquarie University, where she completed a master's degree. Bergstrom travelled to Macquarie Island in 1983 for her Masters fieldwork, this made her one of the earliest female scientists to go south in the Australian Antarctic program for sustained field work. [2] She continued her focus on Macquarie Island to, researching holocene vegetation for her PhD which was awarded in 1985. Prior to working at the Antarctic Division, Bergstrom was a senior lecturer in ecology and botany at The University of Queensland.[ citation needed ]

Career and impact

Bergstrom is an applied Antarctic ecologist and a principal research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division where she co-ordinates terrestrial and near-shore research. [3] Her research focuses on identifying risks to Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic ecosystems and finding solutions to mitigating such risks. During the International Polar Year she led the "Aliens in Antarctica" program [4] [5] and she has played a major leadership roles in the SCAR Regional Sensitivities to Climate Change (RISCC) [6] and Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica programs. [7] The Aliens in Antarctica project resulted in major changes to how most national programs and tourist operators manage biosecurity in Antarctica [8] [9] particularly with regards to cleaning gear to avoid carrying seeds to Antarctica. As Bergstrom put it, "the people that were carrying the most had lots and lots of seeds. They really were substantial threats." [10]

Bergstrom has published extensively on Antarctic science and is well recognised for her highly influential work in the invasive species field, [11] [12] [13] for quantifying the effects of cat eradication on Macquarie Island [14] [15] and for her abundant work on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic plant ecology and threats. Bergstrom is also a champion of improving biosecurity efforts in the Antarctic (e.g. 'Aliens in Antarctica' program). [5] She was on the design team for the Cargo and Biosecurity Centre at Hobart's Macquarie Wharf (Australia's gateway to the Antarctic).

Bergstrom was the Australian delegate to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research from 2011–2015. Bergstrom has been the Australian national representative for the SSG-LS (SCAR standing group – life sciences). [16] She was also the chair of the National Antarctic Research Committee at the Australian Academy of Science (2011–2014), where she was key to fostering engagement with various national and international Antarctic organisations. Bergstrom is active in providing mentoring and training for early career researchers. [17]

Bergstrom invests heavily in public outreach of Antarctic science, where she promotes the global importance of Antarctic ecosystems and researching in the Antarctic. She has been interviewed numerous times for paper, television and radio interviews. [11] [12] [14] Bergstrom founded the 'Pure Antarctic Foundation', [18] a non-for-profit organisation with the overarching goal to bring Antarctica to the world, via an immersive cultural and scientific experience. She championed the efforts to install sub-Antarctic displays in the Royal Hobart Botanic gardens and Australian National Botanic Gardens in order for the public to be able to experience the unique flora of remote sub-Antarctic islands. [19]

Bergstrom was the book author of "Antarctica", a new musical, which premiered in October 2016 in Hobart at the Theatre Royal. The show aimed to foster an appreciation for Antarctic ecosystems. [20] [21] [22]

In 2021 she won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize in the Leadership in Innovation and Science category. [23]

Selected works

Related Research Articles

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. It conducts and supports collaborative research programs with other Australian and international organisations, such as the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia, as well as administering and maintaining a presence in Australian Antarctic and sub-Antarctic territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Station</span> Antarctic base in Australian Antarctic Territory

Casey Station, commonly called Casey, is one of three permanent stations and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Casey lies on the northern side of the Bailey Peninsula overlooking Vincennes Bay on the Budd Coast of Wilkes Land in the Australian Antarctic Territory, a territory claimed by Australia. Casey is 3,880 kilometres (2,410 mi) due south of Perth, Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macquarie Island</span> Sub-Antarctic island of Australia

Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mawson's Huts</span>

Mawson's Huts are a collection of buildings located at Cape Denison, in the far eastern sector of the Australian Antarctic Territory, some 3000 km south of Hobart. The huts were erected and occupied by members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) of 1911–1914, led by geologist and explorer Sir Douglas Mawson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macquarie Island Station</span> Subantarctic base in Tasmania

The Macquarie Island Station, commonly called Macca, is a permanent Australian subantarctic research base on Macquarie Island, situated in the Southern Ocean and located approximately halfway between mainland Australia and Antarctica, managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). The station lies at the base of Wireless Hill, between two bays on the isthmus at the northern end of the island.

<i>Azorella selago</i> Species of flowering plant

Azorella selago is a species of cushion plant native to the sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean, including the Crozet Islands, the Possession Islands, the Heard Island and McDonald Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Prince Edward Islands. The closely related Azorella macquariensis, which is endemic to Macquarie Island, was split from it taxonomically in 1989. A. selago is often a keystone species where it occurs and is well studied for its contribution to its native ecosystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cats in Australia</span> Overview of the role and status of cats in Australia

Feral cats are an invasive species in Australia. Because they are not native to Australia and were only introduced by European colonists as pets in the early 1800s, native Australian animals did not co-evolve with them. As of 2016, some 3.8 million domestic cats and up to 6.3 million feral cats continue to live in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leanne Armand</span> Australian marine scientist (1968–2022)

Leanne Armand was an Australian professor of marine science. She was an expert in the identification of diatoms in the Southern Ocean. She was known for her contributions to the understanding of past Southern Ocean dynamics and sea ice as a result of her knowledge of diatom distributions and ecology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Margaret Selkirk</span> Australian plant biologist and ecologist

Patricia Margaret Selkirk, is an Australian plant biologist and ecologist. Her career has focused on Antarctic and subantarctic terrestrial ecosystems and she is recognized as being a pioneering female Australian Antarctic scientist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-Young Ahn</span> South Korean scientist

In-Young Ahn is a South Korean scientist. She is known for being the first South Korean woman to visit Antarctica and the first Asian woman to become an Antarctic station leader. She is a benthic ecologist and is currently working as a principal research scientist for the Korea Polar Research Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Truswell</span> Australian paleontologist

Elizabeth Marchant Truswell is a former Chief Scientist at the Australian Geological Survey Organisation and is known for her application of recycled palynomorph distribution as an indicator of sub-ice geology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Wienecke</span> Australian Antarctic ecologist

Barbara Wienecke is a senior research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division. She is a seabird ecologist who uses satellite tracking to investigate seabird population dynamics and ecology. Wienecke has played a key role in enhancing the quality of, and overseeing the implementation of, a number of Antarctic Specially Protected Area management plans for wildlife concentrations in East Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roumiana Metcheva</span> Bulgarian Antarctic researcher

Roumiana Panayotova Metcheva is a Bulgarian Antarctic researcher, best known for her work on ecotoxicology and biodiversity protection in the Antarctic. She is the Head of Department of Ecosystem Research, Environmental Risk Assessment and Conservation Biology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Mount Mecheva was named after Metcheva for recognition of her work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justine Shaw</span> Australian Antarctic researcher

Justine Shaw is an Australian Antarctic researcher, best known for her conservation work on subantarctic islands, currently working at the Queensland University of Technology. She has a wide global research network, having worked in Australia, South Africa, sub-Antarctic/Antarctic and the Arctic.

Jennifer Lee is an Antarctic researcher, best known for her work on invasion biology. She is the Environment Officer in the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine King (scientist)</span> Australian ecotoxicologist

Catherine K. King is an Australian ecotoxicologist who studies sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions, with a focus on climate change and the impacts of contaminants and environmental stressors in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Crosbie</span> Scottish Antarctic scientist

Kim Crosbie is a former Executive Director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and has been working in the polar regions since 1991.

Belinda Carlene Ferrari is an Australian microbiologist who specialises in the genetics and ecology of soil bacteria and fungi, particularly in polar regions. She is an associate professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, where she heads a microbiology laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of women in Antarctica</span>

This is a Timeline ofwomen in Antarctica. This article describes many of the firsts and accomplishments that women from various countries have accomplished in different fields of endeavor on the continent of Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megaherb</span> New Zealand subantartic wildflowers

Megaherbs are a group of herbaceous wildflowers growing in the New Zealand subantarctic islands and on the other subantarctic islands. They are characterised by their great size, with huge leaves and very large and often unusually coloured flowers, which have evolved as an adaptation to the harsh weather conditions on the islands. They suffer from overgrazing due to introduced mammals.

References

  1. "Biologist – Dana Bergstrom". classroom.antarctica.gov.au. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  2. "The holocene vegetation history of Green Gorge, Macquarie Island [manuscript] / Dana Michelle Bergstrom. – Version details". Trove. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. "Dr Dana Bergstrom". www.antarctica.gov.au. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  4. Huiskes, Ad H. L.; Gremmen, Niek J. M.; Bergstrom, Dana M.; Frenot, Yves; Hughes, Kevin A.; Imura, Satoshi; Kiefer, Kate; Lebouvier, Marc; Lee, Jennifer E. (1 March 2014). "Aliens in Antarctica: Assessing transfer of plant propagules by human visitors to reduce invasion risk". Biological Conservation. 171: 278–284. Bibcode:2014BCons.171..278H. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2014.01.038 .
  5. 1 2 "On Guard Against an Alilen Invasion" (PDF). heardisland.org/. Australian Antarctic Magazine. 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  6. "Regional Sensitivity to Climate Change in Antarctic Terrestrial Ecosystems [RiSCC]: the periantarctic region". data.aad.gov.au. 10 November 2000. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  7. "Contact". eba.aq. Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  8. "Weeding out the aliens in Antarctica". www.antarctica.gov.au. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  9. "ATS – Non-native Species – Context". www.ats.aq. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  10. "'Alien' Invasion Puts Antarctica At Risk". The Huffington Post. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  11. 1 2 "Alien seeds invade Antarctica". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 6 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Catalyst: Antarctic Aliens – ABC TV Science". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  13. "Alien Plant Invasion Threatens Antarctic Ecosystem: Researchers". International Business Times UK. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Macquarie Island: ecological progress with challenges ahead". Radio National. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  15. "When the cat's away rabbits devastate island sanctuary". www.smh.com.au. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  16. "Membership". www.scar.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  17. Oceania, Apecs (7 June 2013). "APECS Oceania: Free Leadership in Science Workshop, 28 June 2013, Hobart". APECS Oceania. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  18. "Pure Antarctic". Pure Antarctic. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  19. "UQ research pulls delicious plants out of the sub-Antarctic fridge". UQ News. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  20. "Home". Antarctica. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  21. "Antarctica". Tasmanian Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  22. Shine, Rhiannon. "Scientist turns playwright to spread message about Antarctic plight". ABC News. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  23. Smith, Kate (2 September 2021). "2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes finalists". The Australian Museum. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.