The Bleeker Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Indo-Pacific Ichthyology

The deadline for the IPFC Bleeker Awards nominations is 30 April 2023. 

The Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC) is accepting nominations for the Bleeker Awards for 2023. The award, named after Pieter Bleeker, honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of ichthyology in the Indo-Pacific. Two awards in ichthyology will be conferred; one for distinguished contributions to Systematics and one for distinguished contributions to Ecology.

The first Bleeker awards were presented in 2005 at the 7th IPFC to John Randall (systematics) and Howard Choat (ecology). The recipients in 2009, 2013 and 2017 were William Eschmeyer (systematics), Peter Sale (ecology), Gerald Allen (systematics), Jeffrey Leis (ecology), Keiichi Matsuura (systematics) and David Bellwood (ecology), respectively.

Nominations are now solicited for the fifth round of the Bleeker Awards for Excellence in Indo-Pacific Ichthyology. The prize is awarded to an ichthyologist for “an outstanding body of published work in Indo-Pacific ichthyology, mainly in systematics OR ecology”. The awards will be presented at the 11th IPFC, to be held from 20 – 24 November 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Nominations may be made by any ichthyologist, including self-nominations, and should include the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and up to a maximum of four pages detailing the nominee’s specific contributions and their impacts on Indo-Pacific ichthyology.

The award for Systematics includes, but is not limited to, contributions to taxonomy, phylogenetics, phylogeography, speciation and evolutionary processes

The award for Ecology includes, but is not limited to, contributions to population, community, functional, behavioural and evolutionary ecology.

A maximum of four nominators are permissible per nomination. No further or additional endorsements from individuals are permissible. Members of the IPFC Bleeker Awards committee cannot make nominations. Nominations are for individuals only and cannot be joint nominations or made for organisations or institutions.

Nominations should be submitted as an e-mail attachment by 30th April 2023 to the Chair of the Bleeker Awards Committee, Dr Tom Trnski, Auckland Museum, New Zealand (email:) ttrnski@aucklandmuseum.com