Professor John Lucas Memorial Prize for Excellence in Aquaculture

History of the prize

The Professor John Lucas Memorial Prize for Excellence in Aquaculture was founded in 2020 by a donation from the College of Science & Engineering with the purpose of acknowledging John's immense contributions to Aquaculture and the University at large. John was an early member of the academic staff in Biological Sciences at JCU. His initial research was on decapod crustaceans. His seminal work on crown-of-thorns starfish and his later research enterprise in the culture of giant clams provided important inputs to the development of tropical marine biology at JCU. His knowledge of the teaching and research institutions in the Indo-Pacific helped the setting up of an overseas student program that was at the time, unique in Australia. He was also a key figure in the establishment of a focal aquaculture research and teaching program at JCU and the first head of department of Aquaculture at JCU.

Donor

College of Science and Engineering