We aim to elevate women’s voices,
research and experiences in marine science.
These are stories from our community that connect and inspire us.
Women in the Lab: An Interview with Dr. Winnie Courtene-Jones, plastic pollution expert
Meet Dr. Winnie Courtene-Jones, a plastic pollution expert working within the University of Plymouth’s International Marine Litter Research Unit, where she leads scientific investigation for eXXpedition, an all-female team sailing around the world researching plastic pollution.
Climate Change, Disease and Sick Corals
‘We have to fight now to preserve what we have left’, says Dr Erinn Muller, a Senior Scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Erinn is also the coral Health and Disease Program Manger and an avid SCUBA diver from the U.S.A. She has an extensive background conducting research on coral health, disease and restoration from around the globe, including Florida, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia with a research focus on what makes corals sick and why some corals are more resilient to threats in comparison to others.
An Open Letter: The Anxious Mind of a Marine Scientist World Mental Health Day - October 10
It is not easy to expose my feelings and thoughts while writing this letter. I guess it is the anxious mind crying out to be concealed; telling me that I am making a fool of myself in being vulnerable in front of many strangers. “What will they think of me?”, is the first question that rises in my head. ‘‘Are they going to think that I am a ‘weak’ person?’’ I’ve come to hate that word ‘weak’ but it still resonates in my head when I’m being caught in a whirlwind of thoughts.
Not your stereotypical white coat lab work – Meet Coral Biologist Megan Clampitt
Stereotypes. Since the 1950s research has exposed the way students depict a scientist. White lab coats, eccentric men, wild hair and extravagant experiments all epitomise the stereotypical ‘mad scientist’ portrayed by the media. Although gender stereotypes may be on the decline, understanding the role of a modern scientist is important. Firstly, not all lab work requires a white coat and a crazy experiment!
Up close and personal with Microplastics
Microplastics are everywhere. Every sample I have analysed, from sediments to fish tissue, has contained tens if not hundreds of plastic particles of different shapes and sizes. I work as a plastic pollution researcher at the University of Toronto, where a large part of my work involves testing and developing methods to analyse microplastics from environmental samples.
COVID, Anxiety and The New Normal
Fear and excitement filled my body when we got the long anticipated email about returning to the lab after lockdown. I began this year in the West Highlands of Scotland, In a beautiful coastal town called Oban, with a population of 8,500.
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