Our congratulations to CCI Council member Professor William Sutherland, Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology on being awarded 2023 ECI Prize in terrestrial ecology by the International Ecology Institute (ECI, Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany).

The ECI Prize is awarded biennially to an ecologist distinguished by outstanding and sustained scientific achievements in the fields of marine or terrestrial or freshwater ecology, in rotation.

The International Ecology Institute (ECI) is a non-profit organisation of research ecologists dedicated to fostering ecological knowledge and awareness, presently through its two international prizes, the ECI Prize and IRPE Prize, and its book series, Excellence in Ecology. You can read out more about the award here.

Andrew Hector, ECI Prize Jury Chair, said;

Professor William (‘Bill’) J. Sutherland is one of the world’s leading conservation scientists. His research spans over 40 years, initially focussing on behavioural and population ecology. This was the platform for emerging at the forefront of predicting the impacts of environmental change and developing novel approaches for integrating science and policy, thereby having significant impact on global conservation efforts. His “horizon-scanning” exercises have shaped environmental research priorities and ensured that emerging global conservation concerns are identified and speedily addressed. Through an astonishing concerted effort, Bill and team have collated and summarised the evidence for the effectiveness of thousands of conservation interventions, transforming practice. He has regularly advised government and conservation organisations and served on advisory committees for bodies including Natural England and The National Trust. Bill Sutherland holds the Miriam Rothschild Chair in Conservation Biology in the Department of Zoology at Cambridge, is a Professorial Fellow in St Catharine’s College, running its Biosecurity Research Initiative. He was integral to the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. He served as President of the British Ecological Society. His research and leadership have been recognised through several awards, most recently as Commander of the British Empire in 2021. Due to his excellent research and superb service to biological conservation, the ECI Jury deems Bill Sutherland a much-deserved recipient of the Ecology Institute Prize. 

The International Ecology Institute (ECI) is a non-profit organisation of research ecologists dedicated to fostering ecological knowledge and awareness, presently through its two international prizes, the ECI Prize and IRPE Prize, and its book series, Excellence in Ecology.

The next prize award will be in 2025 for freshwater ecology. Further information can be found on its website at https://www.int-res.com/ecology-institute/eci-home/