February 11th marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science – a day to celebrate and support gender equality in science, first adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.
Our Champions Community brings together scientists, activists, artists, policymakers, and sportspeople who share a deep love for the planet and a drive to protect it. Among them are incredible women working across kelp, coral, and river ecosystems – leading groundbreaking research and conservation efforts.
To mark this day, we’re highlighting 22 champions whose work embodies what this day is all about. Dive in, and be inspired!
Carri LeRoy
Professor and Freshwater Ecologist
Carri LeRoy, a professor and freshwater ecologist, studies riparian forests and their connection to streams. Her research focuses on how leaf litterfall – debris from dead plants and leaves – affects stream function and energy exchange. As a mentor to 1,800+ undergraduates, she is driving scientific understanding and inspiring future generations of environmental stewards.
Ruth Mathews
Freshwater Expert
Ruth Mathews, a freshwater expert, has dedicated her career to water issues – with an emphasis on protecting whole systems. Over 30 years, she has conducted expert reviews on river species, led freshwater conservation programs, and participated in key negotiations on river use. As senior manager at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), she advances the source-to-sea approach, which recognises that decisions in any one part of a river affect the system as a whole.
Dr Diane Purcell
Phycologist
Dr. Diane Purcell, a phycologist, has spent 20 years studying algae across freshwater ponds, coastal environments, oceans, and even hot springs. Her latest breakthrough involves extracting protein powder from Laminaria digitata (oarweed) with functional food benefits and potential antihypertensive properties, meaning it could help control blood pressure. Dr. Tiff Stephens, a seaweed scientist and mariculture industry expert, works with farmers, business owners, and industry stakeholders in Southeast Alaska to expand kelp and shellfish mariculture. She also collaborates with the Metlakatla Indian Community to support the cultivation of black seaweed (Pyropia abbottiae), a close relative to Nori, which has been harvested by Native Alaskans since time immemorial.
Dr Tiff Stephens
Seaweed Scientist
Dr. Tiff Stephens, a seaweed scientist and mariculture industry expert, works with farmers, business owners, and industry stakeholders in Southeast Alaska to expand kelp and shellfish mariculture. She also collaborates with the Metlakatla Indian Community to support the cultivation of black seaweed (Pyropia abbottiae), a close relative to Nori, which has been harvested by Native Alaskans since time immemorial.
Dr Pippa Moore
Marine Community Ecologist
Dr Pippa Moore, a marine community ecologist and Professor of Marine Science at Newcastle University, studies how human activities impact kelp, and how promoting healthy kelp forests can help protect us from the impacts of climate change (carbon sequestration and coastal protection against storm surges being just two of them). Her work spans sustainable kelp harvesting in Chile and Peru, carbon sequestration in UK seaweed farms, and kelp forest recovery along industrialised coastlines.
Dr Adriana Vergés
Marine Ecologist
Dr Adriana Vergés, a marine ecologist at UNSW Sydney, co-leads a kelp restoration project to re-establish lost crayweed (Phyllospora comosa) forests in Sydney. Her team transplants the crayweed onto reefs using biodegradable mesh, allowing them to reproduce and thrive – re-establishing an essential habitat and food source for Sydney’s coastal marine biodiversity.
Dr Brooke Weigel
Marine Scientist
Dr Brooke Weigel is a marine scientist who studies how the interactive effects of thermal stress and nitrogen limitation impact bull kelp physiology, survival and reproductive success. As Assistant Professor of Oceans at Stanford University, her research supports kelp restoration in the Salish Sea and also fuels her artistic inspiration, as she creates beautiful sketches and prints of her favourite marine subjects. Find our more on her website.
Dr Melinda Coleman
Kelp Forest Expert
Dr Melinda Coleman, an Australian-based kelp forest expert, is focused on future-proofing kelp forests against climate change. After witnessing kelp extinctions in Oman and Australia, she recognised the need for upscalable, easy-to-deploy techniques to bring back these marine forests. She is part of Operation Crayweed and the Green Gravel Action Group, using cutting-edge genetics and kelp seeding methods to restore these vital ecosystems.
Dr Sara Gonzalez
Marine Biologist
Dr Sara Gonzalez is a marine biologist who explores the ecology and natural history of kelp and how to advance aquaculture for both environmental and societal benefits. Her Ph.D. research focused on giant kelp, and its alginate – a structural polysaccharide with important industry uses.
Dr Sara Hamilton
Marine Ecologist
Dr Sara Hamilton, a marine ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, studies the recovery of Sunflower Sea Stars, natural predators of sea urchins that help maintain a healthy marine ecosystem. She also uses satellites and drones to monitor bull kelp changes over time. She is Chair of the Scientific and Technical Committee for the Oregon Kelp Alliance, a community-based kelp forest monitoring and restoration group.
Kate Vylet
Underwater Photographer, Marine Scientist, and Dive Master
Kate Vylet is an underwater photographer, marine scientist, and dive master based in Monterey Bay, California. With a scientific background in ecology specialised to California’s iconic kelp forests, she uses photography and videography to reveal the hidden beauty of California’s underwater coast. Through her lens, she hopes to inspire awe and conservation by sharing the colourful stories of this vibrant marine world.
Raquel Peixoto
Marine Microbiology and Symbiotic Interactions
Raquel Peixoto is a Brazilian scientist working at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, whose pioneering work has paved the way for new approaches to explore mechanisms of marine microbiology and symbiotic interactions, and for a new area of research on coral probiotics.
Dr Emily Darling
Director of Coral Reef Conservation
As Director of Coral Reef Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Dr Emily Darling’s research involves identifying ‘cool spots’ in the oceans for resilient corals, to explore where and how coral reefs can survive climate change. Emily has worked alongside Kenyan fishers to understand coral reef dynamics, with fisherwomen on food security within marine protected areas, with social scientists to see how women benefit from conservation efforts, and with software engineers on technology to map threats to coral reefs. She also leads MERMAID, a groundbreaking coral reef data platform transforming how reefs are monitored and protected.
Andrea Rivera-Sosa
MARINE SCIENTIST
Andrea Rivera-Sosa, a marine scientist focusing on coral bleaching in the Mesoamerican Reef, has a deep connection to coral reefs, having studied them across Hawaii, French Polynesia, and the Caribbean. She is a Project and Outreach Manager at the Coral Reef Alliance and collaborates with the Allen Coral Atlas. An activist and entrepreneur, she co-founded Conceptos Arkipelago in Bacalar, Mexico, to promote sustainable tourism and recycling initiatives that empower local communities.
Dr Kristen Marhaver
CORAL BREEDING EXPERT
Dr Kristen Marhaver is a coral breeding expert who works at the CARMABI research station on the Caribbean island of Curacao, pioneering new methods for coral propagation and gene banking to aid reef restoration. In 2017, she focused on pineapple coral (Dichocoenia stokesii), which was being destroyed by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.
Aya Naseem
Marine Biologist
Aya Naseem is a marine biologist and co-founder of the Maldives Coral Institute (MCI), which focuses on coral resilience and sustainable development in the Maldives. Aya has a particular interest in coral-friendly development and aims to address the twin threats to coral of global warming and unsustainable development on her home islands. She is currently working with the Fulhadhoo island community on a project to restore a highly diverse and resilient reef in Baa Atoll.
Dr Anne Cohen
Coral Reef Scientist
Dr Anne Cohen, a coral reef scientist, grew up on South Africa’s Wild Coast, where she saw firsthand the inequities in access to nature and education. Now working at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, she focuses on Super Reefs and expanding access to scientific knowledge. She developed Digital Reefs, an interactive platform using Digital Twin and gaming technology to bring coral reef data and decision-making tools to global stakeholders.
Dr Emma Kennedy
CORAL REEF ECOLOGIST
Dr Emma Kennedy, a coral reef ecologist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, develops innovative tools to monitor reefs in a changing climate. She leads ReefCloud, a digital platform using AI and diver photos to track reef health 700 times faster than traditional methods. Combining science, storytelling, and photography, she works to unite people around action on climate change.
Dr Isabel Nuñez Lendo
Marine Scientist and Conservationist
Dr Isabel Nuñez Lendo, a Nicaraguan-Spanish marine scientist and conservationist, dedicated herself to coral research after witnessing a spawning event in the Bahamas in 2015. A National Geographic Explorer and IUCN Coral Specialist, she applies cutting-edge techniques like underwater photogrammetry to assess coral reef health and restoration.
Dr Emma Camp
Marine Scientist
Dr Emma Camp, a marine scientist, studies corals in extreme environments like mangrove lagoons to understand their resilience and improve reef management, particularly on the Great Barrier Reef. Emma leads the biogeochemistry group at the University of Technology Sydney, is Deputy team leader for the Future Reefs Team, and co-founder of the Coral Nurture Program (CNP). She is also passionate about championing the inclusion and retention of women and girls in STEM.
Dr Tracy Ainsworth
Scientia Professor
Dr Tracy Ainsworth is a Scientia Professor at UNSW Sydney, working on coral reefs and the biology of the Great Barrier Reef. Her research covers the biology of stresses, cells, disease, immunity and symbiosis. In her downtime, she writes ‘science-themed poetry’ and children’s stories about the marine environment.
Krista Shoe
Founder of Mother of Corals
Krista Shoe, founder of Mother of Corals, a foundation established in 2020, helps communities build artificial reefs for coral restoration. Mother of Corals has built artificial reefs in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans while teaching best practices to communities to engage citizen scientists in the fight to restore coral reefs.
If you’d like to read more about their work in detail, head to our Voices page. There, you can also explore the work of our other Champions making an impact in a diverse range of fields.
