February 11 is the United Nations International Day for Women and Girls in Science. It is a day to inspire girls to choose science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) subjects at school, and women to pursue a career in a STEMM-related field, as well as to recognise the achievements of women in STEMM.
We asked women who have leadership roles in IMOS about what they do in IMOS, what drew them into a science career, the rewards and any words of advice for girls and young women considering a career in STEMM.
Helen Beggs
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Dr Helen Beggs, a Senior Research Scientist in the Science & Innovation Group at the Bureau of Meteorology, and I lead two IMOS sub-Facilities – Satellite Remote Sensing Sea Surface Temperature Products and Ship of Opportunity Sea Surface Temperature Sensors for Australian Vessels.
What drew you into the world of science?
I have wanted to be a scientist since I was very young – around 9 or 10 – and was fascinated by Mathematics and Physics at Secondary School. I think it was the theory of special and general relativity which initially drew me to Physics in my early years of High School, and then after studying a Physics Honours Degree at University of Melbourne I developed a passion to work in Antarctica, so studied a Masters in Space Physics at La Trobe University as I was told that this was a sure way to get a job there. I wintered as Atmospheric and Space Physicist at Macquarie Island and then Casey Station, Antarctica, in 1987 and 1990. During my year in Antarctica, I decided that I would like to work on the Greenhouse Effect, so on my return started a PhD at University of Tasmania on air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide over the Antarctic sea ice zone, which drew me into oceanography and a sea-going role at CSIRO Marine Science in Hobart. After moving to Melbourne in 2000, I joined the Bureau of Meteorology in 2003 as an ocean remote sensing scientist for the Bluelink Ocean Forecasting Australia Project.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
The travel and meeting interesting people! I have loved working in challenging and exotic places, such as Macquarie Island and Antarctica, and research cruises around Papua New Guinea and the Southern Ocean. Since starting a family I no longer wanted to go to sea, and swapped seagoing life on the Marine National Facility at CSIRO, for a desk-based research position at the Bureau of Meteorology as a satellite oceanographer. However, this has allowed me to travel to nearly every continent and around Australia for scientific conferences, and I love to visit new places and meet new colleagues. I have also derived great personal satisfaction from, in my own small way, adding to the body of knowledge.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
These days it is much easier to juggle motherhood and science, with most employers supporting flexible working hours and working from home. However, being a research scientist is not always a 9 to 5 job and requires real commitment and passion to put in the hours to get the research done and publications written. If you can combine your personal passions with a career that pays the bills then that is a real bonus. Sometimes I feel very lucky that someone is prepared to pay me for what I love doing anyway!
Rebecca Cowley
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Rebecca Cowley, CSIRO, project & data lead for the Ships of Opportunity XBT sub-Facility and data lead for the Deep Water Arrays sub-Facility.
What drew you into the world of science?
I was inspired by my high school chemistry teacher to continue in science. Having a background in sailing, I thought that marine science was interesting and took that path.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
Learning something new every day, changing roles within the same job and meeting extraordinary and inspiring people. I started as a laboratory chemist and am now an ocean data analyst/quality control expert and programmer.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
Follow your interest, do what you enjoy, not what you think you should do. Science is about adaptation and engagement and you can have a great career if you put the work in.
Leanne Currey-Randall
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Dr Leanne Currey-Randall (Australian Institute of Marine Science), IMOS sub-Facility leader of the Qld Acoustic Telemetry Array. My role involves enhancing tracking infrastructure in Queensland waters to better understand the large-scale movements of key fishes along the East coast of Australia. This involves working with collaborators to maintain underwater listening stations (acoustic receivers) and tagging animals (sharks, rays and bony fish) with transmitters. Detection data from tagged animals are then combined with environmental data to answer questions about connectivity, stock structure and the drivers of movement and migration.
What drew you into the world of science?
A touch tank at an aquarium when I was 7 years old sparked my interest in the marine environment as a whole – I was curious about all the ocean’s amazing creatures and couldn’t wait to get my diving certification. I knew early on that I wanted to do fish research in the tropics, and I am totally in my element on a boat with salty breeze in my face.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
Investigation and field work – finding answers to questions on the ecology and movement of marine fishes is enabled by field trips to interesting places. My most rewarding research projects have involved data collection by diving, fishing, and travelling to Pacific Islands, where I’ve met inspiring colleagues. As a scientist my aim is to do research that helps the management of fishes and their environments by filling ecological and biological knowledge gaps for marine species.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
Know that you can do whatever you set your mind to and connect with people doing what inspires you. Doing good science is essential to finding the right answers and creating new questions to explore!
Michelle Heupel
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Dr Michelle Heupel the Director of IMOS.
What drew you into the world of science?
I grew up fascinated by sharks and the ocean. I knew sharks weren’t well understood and wanted to do something to help fix that. Becoming a marine biologist was the way for me to learn about sharks and help others learn more about them too. Now as Director of IMOS I get to help people understand more about the ocean, including and beyond sharks.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
There are many things. One of the best things is getting to learn things no one else knows. To be the first person to know something about an animal or a place is really exciting and energising. The second thing for me is getting to be out on the ocean and getting to work with animals I am so passionate about understanding and conserving.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
Go for it and never listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do it. I did it and you can too.
Moninya Roughan
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Moninya Roughan a Professor of Oceanography at UNSW. I lead the NSW moorings sub-Facility, and I also lead the NSW-IMOS oceanography team.
What drew you into the world of science?
I grew up with a love of the sea and a passion for mathematics. Oceanography combines the thrill of working on boats with the beauty of maths. I have always enjoyed the thrill of new knowledge and breaking new ground.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
I love the variety of the role. In a single day I could be working on a proposal, writing about new research, reading new papers or something from my team, dreaming up a new experiment, coding up a piece of analysis, building a mooring with hardware and shackles, coding up an instrument or bouncing around in the Pacific Ocean collecting data to analyse.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
In the words of my 8-year-old daughter ‘Dream Big, Play Hard, Be strong’.
Cherie Motti and Marina Santana
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
Marine microplastics contamination has become an issue of national and international concern with risks to the environment and humans now being realised. Drs. Cherie Motti and Marina Santana, both scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), are working together with IMOS to develop a Marine Microplastics Monitoring Program to record spatial and temporal variations of microplastic levels in Australian surface seawaters. Cherie, the principal investigator of the project, has a background in natural products chemistry and has been working in the field of microplastics since 2014. Her research is focussed on developing, validating and streamlining sample processing and analysis methodologies, including QA/QC, to improve the accuracy of microplastic estimates in marine systems. Marina, is an oceanographer and, since 2012, has been investigating plastic and microplastic presence and distribution in the marine environments and their potential to elicit biological effects. She is the coordinator and data analyst of the Marine Microplastics Monitoring Program.
What drew you into the world of science?
Both scientists were drawn into microplastics research by their passion for the marine environment and a desire to inform the broader community of the microplastics peril. Their research is aimed at generating applicable information that can assist in the development and improvement of policies and efficient environmental management strategies to mitigate marine microplastic contamination. For the past seven years, the complementary backgrounds of Cherie and Marina have been promoting systematic, sustained and scientifically robust observations on microplastic contamination and potential effects across Australian marine waters. For the Marine Microplastics Monitoring Program specifically, their observations on microplastic contamination, combined with physicochemical variables also measured by IMOS at the sampling locations (e.g., surface salinity, current and plankton community), is now being used to understand the potential sources and fate of marine microplastics, and is available to guide policymakers in their response to the issue and support assessment of the effectiveness of these policy responses.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
For both Cherie and Marina, the best part of being a research scientist is having the opportunity to work collaboratively with experts nationally and internationally to understand and solve critically important global environmental issues, such as marine microplastic contamination. For Cherie, now into her fourth decade as a researcher, science has been a rewarding career and she is still learning and discovering new things; and is constantly in awe of the up-and-coming female scientists she’s had the pleasure and privilege to train. For Marina, a new PhD graduate, science has taken her around the world, from Brazil to Australia, and given her the opportunity to be involved in world class microplastics research, something she now tries to foster in other young researchers.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
At AIMS, they are both actively involved in science outreach programs aimed to encourage more young female students to consider science as a career. Their message is simple: science is an exciting field to be working in and can offer young women a rewarding career that will have real and long-term impact. For the young girls and women thinking about being a scientist they say, “go for it, we need as many people as possible working to together for a more sustainable future!”
Kerrie Swadling
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Kerrie Swadling, an Associate Professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and I lead the Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder sub-Facility.
What drew you into the world of science?
I was always interested in animals when I was at school and grew up next to the beach in Melbourne. I spent many early childhood summers fossicking in rock pools at our local beach. A teacher at my high school suggested Marine Biology as a university degree and so I moved up to James Cook University in Townsville when I finished school. In my third year I took a unit on Plankton Ecology and absolutely loved it – all of these biological and ecological processes happening at the microscopic level!
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
When I was younger I was able to study plankton in all sorts of different environments: the Gulf of Mexico, subarctic Canada and the Antarctic amongst others. Living in other countries and doing research is a very special thing to do. Because my focus is Antarctica and the Southern Ocean I get to work with colleagues from many countries, in particular France, Japan and China, as we all focus on the East Antarctic. The Southern Ocean covers a huge region and no one country can do all the science alone, so it is very important that we collaborate and share resources as much as possible.
Now that I am at the other end of my career, I get a lot of pleasure from working with young scientists who are just starting their working lives. It makes me happy when I can provide opportunities for them, such as getting berths on Antarctic research vessels and attending conferences.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
Don’t hold back. Be flexible and prepared to move to different places/universities to follow your interests. Remember that careers don’t necessarily follow straight lines so don’t be discouraged if you take a few detours along the way. Finally, think about ways to broaden your career opportunities. Combining marine ecology with mathematical skills, geology, engineering or any other science could really open up your future.
Jodie van de Kamp
Who are you and what is your role in IMOS?
I’m Dr Jodie van de Kamp, a Research Scientist in Environmental Genomics, at CSIRO, and I lead the IMOS Marine Microbiome Initiative Facility. Marine microbiomes are the collection of all microscopic organisms living in our oceans. Microbiomes are the engines of our oceans, driving biogeochemical and nutrient cycles, they form the base of the foodweb, perform essential functions in climate regulation and can help to mitigate the impacts of pollution. It’s incredibly important that we understand the marine microbiome so that we can better manage our marine environments.
What drew you into the world of science?
I was always going to study Law and Economics at University. Then in Grade 12 I signed up for Biology, purely because my friends were doing the class, and I was fortunate enough to be taught by a young, female teacher who was passionate about science. The fun and excitement that this teacher brought to our learning changed my career path and I decided to enrol in a Bachelor of Science in that very last year of school. At university, I continued to discover just how much I loved science, particularly genetics and molecular biology, the logic, the chance to use my mind to solve problems, and soon realised it was a research career I wanted.
What’s the best part about being a scientist?
I see my science as a tool that can be applied to so many different questions which means I’ve been able to have a really diverse and interesting career and been able to meet and work with a lot of really interesting people from all over the world. I have been involved in research on, the genetic control of flower development in crops, isolating novel microbes from Antarctic and sub-Antarctic environments to look for new bioproducts, microbial interactions with geological formations in caves, genetic control of pest fish species like carp, and microbiomes as indicators of ecosystem health.
What would you say to young girls and women thinking about being a scientist?
Do it! There are so many different pathways open to you in science and it’s an opportunity to help solve the challenges facing our environment and society today.