Conference Prizes are awarded for outstanding student presentations during the NZMSS annual conference
2025 – Marlborough
Best Overall Student Talks
FIRST PLACE
Eleanor Brettle – University of Waikato
“Understanding germination triggers; The first steps towards improving seed-
based seagrass restoration success rates in Aotearoa, New Zealand”
RUNNER-UP
Anna Resende – Victoria University of Wellington
“Spatial variability of potential microplastics in an intertidal fish gut: a case study in
Wellington, New Zealand”
Best Posters
FIRST PLACE
Logan Kallam – University of Waikato
RUNNER-UP
Benjamin Shirey – Auckland University of Technology
Best Student Presentations - Special Topics
Coastal Marine Science and Resource Management
Sponsored by: Coastal Special Interest Group (CSIG)
Joseph Curtis – University of Otago
Dr Roger Grace Scientific Diving Award
Sponsored by: University of Auckland
Luke Johnston – University of Auckland
Aquaculture
Sponsored by: Fisheries NZ
Tian Tian – University of Auckland
Battle of the Labs!
University of Waikato
This prize is awarded to the university that achieved the highest average score across all of their student presentations/posters