Heather Lynch, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, has received the 2024 Golden Goose Award. This accolade is given for unconventional research that results in unexpected and impactful discoveries. Lynch's project, "From Poop to Protection: Satellite Discoveries Help Save Antarctic Penguins and Advance Wildlife Monitoring," funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, utilized satellite imagery to track penguin populations. This work led to the discovery of 1.5 million previously undocumented Adélie penguins.
Lynch shares this award with former IACS postdoctoral fellow Christian Che-Castaldo and Mathew Schwaller. The Golden Goose Award honors federally funded research that might initially appear obscure but results in significant scientific breakthroughs. It underscores the importance of basic research aimed at exploring unknown phenomena.
Provost and Executive Vice President Carl Lejuez stated, “This is a tremendous honor for Professor Lynch. The Golden Goose recognizes that scientific discovery may not always follow a conventional path. Innovation is a hallmark of Stony Brook research, and Professor Lynch’s extraordinary research and dedication to addressing climate change is a stellar example.”
Lynch expressed her gratitude by saying, “I’m hugely honored to have our work recognized in this way, and I remain as excited about the potential of satellite imagery as I was when we started this more than a decade ago.” She emphasized the untapped potential of satellite imagery for research and conservation.
Her work primarily focuses on monitoring Antarctic wildlife distribution using remote sensing techniques. Her collaboration with Antarctic policymakers ensures they use up-to-date science when deciding on protection measures for Antarctica. Her joint discovery with Schwaller led to establishing a new Antarctic Specially Protected Area due to finding a significant penguin population in the Danger Islands.
Lynch holds advanced degrees from Harvard University in organismic and evolutionary biology as well as physics, alongside an undergraduate degree from Princeton University.
More information about Lynch's work can be found on YouTube.