Episode 80: Dr Peter Last (CSIRO - Retired) - Part 1

Ichthyologist, Dr Peter Last, is Craig's guest in this episode. Peter is a former Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO and was a former Curator and Director of the Australian National Fish Collection (formerly the I.S.R. Munro Ichthyological Collection). He retired from CSIRO in 2016 but continues to be very active in research through a CSIRO Post-retirement Honorary Fellowship. Peter has made major contributions to Indo-Pacific ichthyology particularly within the fields of systematics, biodiversity and biogeography and is regarded as a world authority on the taxonomy of elasmobranchs and Indo-Pacific deepwater fishes and is one of only a few world experts on the systematics and biogeography of batoid fishes (which includes stingrays, skates and sawfish). He is lead author and/or co-author on more than 200 scientific journal papers, books, book chapters and technical reports; A total of more than 300 publications. Among the many interesting things Peter relates in this Part 1 of his interview, you will hear him talk of the early history, development, roles and importance of the Fish Collection, which has grown to house more than 160,000 fish specimens representing 3,700 species. Part 2 of Peter's interview will be available in Episode 81 which will air in early January 2024.