BBC Discovery

Unstoppable: Kura Paul-Burke

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Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber are both scientists, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about the women that came before them. In Unstoppable, Julia and Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the scientists, engineers and innovators that they wish they’d known about when they were starting out in science. This week, a Māori marine scientist is combining indigenous knowledge with marine science to save the oceans that are so integral to her heritage.

Growing up in 1970s New Zealand, Kura-Paul Burke faced stigma due to her Māori roots. But, after finding herself studying marine science as an adult, Kura leaned on her heritage to take on a problem where many had already failed: restoring a lost population of precious, green-lipped mussels. Discover how Māori ancestresses, tribal elders and centuries-old knowledge inspired the ingenious methods of Aotearoa's first female Māori professor of marine science.

Presenters: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey
Guest Speaker: Dr Kura Paul-Burke
Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey
Assistant Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Anna Charalambou and Josie Hardy
Sound Designer: Ella Roberts
Production Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Editor: Holly Squire

(Image: Dr Kura Paul-Burke. Credit: Dr Kura Paul-Burke)
28 Apr 2025 English United Kingdom Science

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