Julian Drake

Julian Drake is a recent oceanography graduate from the University of Auckland with a Master of Geography. His thesis, a broad study of sea surface temperature variability in the Southwest Pacific, is closely related to the topics explored in Te Moana Mahana and was supervised by Principal Investigator Melissa Bowen.

Julian grew up in Huia, on the coast of the Manukau Harbour, and developed a keen curiosity in understanding the natural world from a young age. With a growing awareness of the importance of climate change during his youth, he developed a strong passion for climatology, with oceanography becoming his primary subdivision by the time he completed his undergraduate studies.

As a young scientist in this project, he hopes to gain a significant understanding of how climate science is conducted and large-scale research projects operate in practice.