Trevor McDougall wins $250,000 science prize for researching ‘thermal flywheel’ of climate system

Oceanographer Trevor McDougall says the idea for one of his greatest breakthroughs came while swimming in a freshwater pond Photograph: Supplied

When Trevor McDougall began studying the ocean in the 1970s he had no idea that his field would become a crucial part of climate science.

The University of New South Wales professor was on Monday awarded the top honour at the prime minister’s prizes for science for his contributions to the field of oceanography and research on the ocean’s role in regulating the climate.