Vivienne Cassie Cooper facts for kids

Una Vivienne Cassie Cooper MNZM (born Una Vivienne Dellow on 29 September 1926) is a famous New Zealand scientist. She is a planktologist, which means she studies tiny plants and animals that float in water. She is also a botanist, someone who studies plants.

Early Life and Education

Vivienne Cassie Cooper was born in Auckland, a big city in New Zealand. She loved learning and went to the University of Auckland to get her first two degrees. Later, she earned her PhD, which is a very high-level degree, from Victoria University of Wellington.

A Career Studying Water Plants

In 1957, Vivienne Cassie Cooper did something very important. She completed the first big study of phytoplankton in New Zealand. Phytoplankton are like tiny plants that live in the ocean and are a key part of the food chain.

Later in her career, she focused more on plants that live in water, especially freshwater algae. Algae are simple plants that grow in water, like the green stuff you might see in a pond. She became a research scientist for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).

Vivienne Cassie Cooper has written over 50 scientific papers and several books. Some of her important books include Marine Phytoplankton in New Zealand Waters and Checklists of the Freshwater Diatoms of New Zealand. She also wrote a book called Micro Algae - Microscopic Marvels, which was made for a wider audience, not just scientists.

Awards and Recognition

Vivienne Cassie Cooper has received many awards for her amazing work. She was given special honorary titles by the Botany Department at the University of Auckland and the Botany Division of DSIR. She also became an honorary life member of the New Zealand Limnological Society and the New Zealand Marine Science Society. These groups study freshwater and marine life in New Zealand.

In 1997, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This is a special award given by the Queen for great service to New Zealand. She received it for her contributions to marine biology. People called her New Zealand's "leading expert" on diatoms, which are a type of tiny algae with beautiful glass-like cell walls.

Vivienne Cassie Cooper also helped start several important scientific groups. These include the Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany, the International Society of Diatomists, and the Asian Pacific Phycological Association. She retired from her main job in 1986.

In 2017, Vivienne Cassie Cooper was honored again by the Royal Society Te Apārangi. She was chosen as one of their "150 women in 150 words". This project celebrated the important contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.

Personal Life

In 1953, Vivienne Dellow married Richard Morrison Cassie. He was also a professor at the University of Auckland. They had two children together. Sadly, Richard passed away in 1974. Even after his death, Vivienne continued her important research. In 1984, she married another botanist named Robert Cecil Cooper.

See also

In Spanish: Vivienne Cassie Cooper para niños