Growing up on the foothills of Penang Hill and enjoying by the seashores of Batu Ferringhi as a toddler instilled in Dr Alison Wee a love for nature and the setting.
That’s why the assistant professor on the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences within the University of Nottingham Malaysia has been working to preserve the nation’s pure coastal habitats.
“Conserving our natural habitats is so close to my heart. I hope that our future generations can enjoy the close contact with nature that I was blessed with as a child,” says the 39-year-old mom of a six-year-old daughter.
Dr Alison Wee is without doubt one of the recipients of the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards 2022 for her conservation work with mangrove swamps. Photo: L’Oreal FoundationWee was awarded the L’Oreal-Unesco For Women In Science Awards 2022 for her environmental work with mangrove swamps. She focuses on utilizing environmental DNA or eDNA, which is the metabarcoding of fish, to detect overfishing and air pollution in mangrove swamps. This helps make sure the survival and continued progress of the mangrove swamps that are very important to the marine ecosystem.
“I collect data of coastal animals and determine the balance of species. It’s important to understand the presence and movement of the fish species that live in our seas, so we can conserve their habitats.
“These species are threatened by extinction because of climate change, pollution, over harvesting and rising sea-levels due to global warming. Having this data will help us achieve the sustainable development of coastal biological systems,” says Wee.
The annual award recognises ladies scientists and helps them advance their analysis of their chosen area with a RM30,000 seed fund.
Even although environmental science was not a well-liked profession alternative when Wee was rising up, she was impressed to pursue it by British ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.
“While awaiting my STPM results, I worked at a bookstore in Penang and read Jane Goodall’s book Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey,” she recounts.
Wee was so moved by it that she despatched a handwritten letter to Goodall, telling her about her aspiration to observe Goodall’s footsteps to turn out to be a conservationist.
She was significantly shocked when Goodall replied, in handwriting, urging Wee to pursue her goals, and to be daring and by no means surrender.
“So here I am today, fulfilling my youthful dream and doing my humble part for Mother Nature. It’s truly all that I’ve dreamed of: the sunset boat ride after a long field day in the mangroves, the endless hours in the lab, perfecting a molecular technique, the friendship with local communities and brilliant scientists worldwide,” she says.
Protect coastal ecosystems
Growing up on the foothills of Penang Hill and enjoying by the seashores of Batu Ferringhi as a toddler instilled in Dr Alison Wee a love for nature and the setting. Photo: L’Oreal FoundationWee highlights the nice want for coastal ecosystems to be protected.
“Tropical coastal ecosystems, especially in South-East Asia, are severely threatened by climate change, pollution, over-harvesting, sea-level rise and natural disasters,” she says.
“The mangroves are where most fish species and other sea creatures such as crustaceans live, breed, and nurse their young. I wanted to understand the impact of environmental change on them and help conserve their habitat,” she explains.
“Mangroves excite me in many ways as they are full of life,” she says, including that she stumbled upon this wonderful habitat when she was supplied funding to conduct a PhD venture on mangroves from the Malay Peninsula (Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore).
She took up the chance with out a lot thought, fell in love with mangroves and her curiosity has by no means wavered.
“What I love most about working with mangroves is also the experience of riding the boat back, backdropped by a beautiful sunset and the delicious seafood I get to enjoy on certain days,” she says.
Wee feels that her work will assist Malaysians.
“South-East Asia is a global biodiversity hotspot. Unfortunately, one third of global wild fish stocks are overexploited, with tropical Asia being one of the most threatened regions in the world. Malaysia has one of the highest rates of mangrove loss – next to only Indonesia – in South-East Asia,” she notes. “Have you ever wondered whether our grandchildren will get to enjoy the seafood Malaysia is blessed with such as ikan pari bakar (grilled stingray), cincalok (fermented shrimp paste) and keropok lekor (fish crackers)? The answer is, highly unlikely,” she says.
“In future decades, 1.3 billion people living within 100km of the tropical coast will be eating seafood of smaller size, lower quality, laced with microplastics and heavy metals, and all at a higher price! Furthermore, if we don’t take care of our coastal resources now, some fish species might be totally extinct in the next generation,” she cautions.
Challenges in conservation work
Wee was awarded the L’Oreal-Unesco For Women In Science Awards 2022 for her environmental work with mangrove swamps. Photo: L’Oreal FoundationWee admits there are challenges concerned in her conservation work. A scientific profession is fulfilling and rewarding, however could be demanding at instances, she says.
“Malaysian women pursuing a scientific career have to juggle between work and family.
“I am a keen supporter of women in science, especially mothers in science. I pride myself in successfully mentoring Ni Kadek Erosi Undaharta, a young mother of two from Indonesia who came to my lab as a PhD student in 2017.
“In 2020, she became the first female staff in Bali Botanical Garden to hold a PhD degree. Currently, I am supervising Wenji Luo, a PhD student from Wuzhou China. When Wenji joined my lab, she told me that she decided to conceive during her PhD studies due to family pressures. I supported her throughout her pregnancy and helped her plan her work to accommodate her maternity leave. Today, Wenji is a proud mother of a bubbly two-year-old, and undergoing a year-long, country-level research exchange to the National University of Singapore,” she cites as examples.
I firmly consider that given a conducive setting, ladies – and moms – in science, know-how, engineering, and arithmetic, can thrive of their profession and at house, she says.
Wee is a solo-parent to her six-year-old daughter in Semenyih, Selangor – near her college campus – whereas her husband, additionally a researcher, works in Brunei.
“Being a mother and a solo parent, I understand the everyday struggles of women pursuing a scientific career, especially when we need to juggle both work and family,” she says.
Wee focuses on utilizing environmental DNA or eDNA – which is the metabarcoding of fish – to detect overfishing and air pollution in mangrove swamps. Photo: L’Oreal Foundation
Wee plans to make use of the grant cash to broaden her work to extra mangrove habitats and contain extra college students, particularly women. She can be organising a world symposium on eDNA in March in Kuala Lumpur and can be internet hosting researchers from South-East Asia, Japan, Sri Lanka, South Africa.
Wee strongly encourages extra women to review science.
“I hope to spread the message of girl power, female courage, passion and tenacity, to a wider audience. I hope to be the Jane Goodall of Malaysia one day, to inspire not only my own daughter, but the daughters of our nation and to tell them the words that were once told to me: ‘no dream is too big for you’,” she concludes.
