Highlighting the experiences of women in science
- emmarehn5
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Each year, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) to acknowledge the contributions of the many women monitoring, researching, restoring, and protecting tropical ecosystems.
We spoke with seven TropWATER scientists – with expertise spanning water quality, seagrass ecology, and marine megafauna – about their experiences, careers, and challenges they have faced as women working in science. Read on to learn more about Dr Shelley Templeman, Carissa, Reason, Dr Emily Webster, Jane Waterhouse, Professor Helene Marsh, Dr Jane Mellors, and Megan Proctor.
Dr Shelley Templeman
Dr Shelley Templeman’s work focuses on monitoring and understanding how ecosystem drivers influence aquatic ecology. This includes assessing water, sediment, macroinvertebrates, and vegetation along with climate and land use information, and running regular training courses for industry, government, NRM groups, Indigenous Rangers, schools, and community groups.
Throughout my career I have worked with some amazing people (within the scientific and local communities) and their knowledge sharing has helped me become the scientist I am today.
What led you to a career in science? Curiosity – I spent my childhood asking my parents “but why?” When my parents couldn’t answer the questions, I went to books (this pre-dated the internet). When they couldn’t help, I tried working it out for myself and kept going until I am where I am today (and still asking “why?”). What’s the best part of your job?
The unpredictability of my career is the best part and because of that, I have had the opportunity to work in so many incredibly beautiful locations that very few people have ever seen. I have worked from the equator (West Papua) to Antarctica, and remote locations across northern Australia.
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
Science has made many improvements during my career but there are still some significant unconscious biases that exist. Sometimes this comes from community stakeholders who look behind you for a man as the project leader when you start a new program. Sometimes it is the perception that female scientists need more help to apply for new opportunities and are therefore expected to jump through more hoops to apply for these opportunities.
Carissa Reason
Carissa Reason manages statewide seagrass monitoring programs and researches seagrass ecology, biology, and physiology. Her work focuses on assessing ecological health, the impacts of human activities, and the effectiveness of restoration and mitigation efforts.
What led you to a career in science?
I grew up on a cattle/farming property in central Queensland and knew I would always need to have animals and nature as part of my workplace. A Zoology degree at JCU in Cairns cemented that pathway and led me firstly into monitoring fisheries resources for the Queensland Government and then into seagrass monitoring for TropWATER.
What’s the best part of your job?
What I love most about my job is the mix of adventure and analysis. I get to visit stunning, remote places to assess seagrass, spending long days on boats out on the water and in helicopters doing aerial assessments and having unforgettable wildlife encounters. Then I come back to the office to process and report on the data and recharge before heading out on the next adventure.
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
One of the biggest challenges for me has been balancing being a mum with the travel and workload that come with a career in science. Taking time away for parental leave creates gaps in professional development and missed opportunities, and catching up can feel daunting.
Having a supportive team has made a huge difference, helping me stay connected and continue moving forward.
Dr Emily Webster
Dr Emily Webster’s research is focused on the spatial ecology of threatened marine megafauna, particularly sea turtles. She works closely with government and Traditional Owners and wants to know how future climate change may affect the habitats that turtles rely on so we can allocate resources for effective habitat protection.
What led you to a career in science?
When I started my undergraduate degree I experimented with the arts – music, philosophy, and languages – but I found my first-year biology lectures were the most compelling, challenging my worldview and my understanding of ethics, human behaviour and our relationship with nature. I was also captivated by fieldtrips to amazing places that most people will never have the opportunity to visit, and close encounters with wildlife. Now, I am deeply concerned about climate change and the trajectory of our planet and want to contribute to positive environmental change.
What’s the best part of your job?
Through my work I’m connected with people who are passionate, driven, conscientious, and deeply connected to nature.
I love that my job is to be inquisitive and learn as much as I can.
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
I have found it challenging to develop the confidence to speak out in a room of more qualified people or do things differently in an established system. Self-promotion and self-advocacy don’t come naturally to me either. I’m curious about how other women navigate career interruptions and keep up competitive grant and publication profiles while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Jane Waterhouse
Jane Waterhouse translates science for water quality management, from the catchment to the reef. Since 1998, she has been involved in many projects requiring a synthesis of the latest science to help managers make decisions. Jane has led the inshore water quality monitoring component of the Marine Monitoring Program since 2016.
What led you to a career in science?
I am passionate about marine environments – I have always loved spending days at the beach or out on the water and have always wanted to be a part of the protection and maintenance of the incredible values of these areas.
I especially love the coastal and inshore areas which are so diverse, accessible, and beautiful, and enjoy learning more about their processes and management solutions as part of my job; I feel very fortunate.
What’s the best part of your job?
I have had the benefit of working with many incredibly clever, kind, and generous people who are genuinely making a difference to the way the Great Barrier Reef and water quality specifically is understood and is managed, and how improvements can be delivered. That keeps me going. For me, maintaining working relationships and networks has been critical to having an interesting and successful career, as well as having a mix of tasks – there is never a dull moment!
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
I have been fortunate to have a very positive working environment. I made the decision to maintain a casual role early on to ensure I had flexible work hours to enable me to support my young family and choose projects that are of most interest to me; that has made a big difference. It was a potential risk to having an ongoing career in science – and realise it’s not an option that everyone can choose, so I am grateful that it’s worked out.
Professor Helene Marsh
Professor Helene Marsh is officially retired but remains very busy as a research leader and dugong expert. She currently leads the Threatened and Migratory Species and Threatened Ecological Communities initiative in the National Environmental Science Program, and continues to supervise students, deliver specialist lectures, and advise international agencies on dugong research.
What led you to a career in science?
I started my science degree at the University of Queensland with the intention of becoming a neuroscientist. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to undertake an independent psychology research project in my first year. I spent far too much time on this project, even though it wasn’t worth many marks. By the end of first year, I knew I didn’t want to be a neuroscientist, but I had discovered that I absolutely loved doing independent research. From then on, I was hooked and took every possible opportunity to do research projects as part of my degree. I am now a strong advocate for giving undergraduate students the opportunity to undertake research.
What’s the best part of working in science?
Making a difference. Discovering new knowledge, advising policymakers (I have provided advice to 14 countries), supporting research students (I have supervised more than 60 PhD candidates to completion), meeting inspiring people, and travelling to fascinating places – often countries within the dugong’s range.
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
My biggest early challenge was bias against women in science.
I still have a copy of a letter I received when I applied for my first job as a fisheries officer, stating that it was not government policy to employ women because fisheries officers had to drive boats, camp with fishermen, and carry heavy gear. I had my first child before finishing my PhD (not a great idea, despite having a very supportive partner) and worked part-time for several years while I had major child-rearing responsibilities. The greatest challenge then was being taken seriously as a scientist. Once I had a permanent position and my children were older, being a woman was no longer perceived as a problem. Nonetheless, there were many times when I was told I only obtained positions because I was a woman. Fortunately, such prejudices are now far less common.
Dr Jane Mellors
Dr Jane Mellors coordinates the field operations of a small team, collecting water samples during routine monitoring and from plumes during flood events between Gladstone and Cairns. Each trip involves boating, sample filtering in a field lab, submitting samples for analysis, downloading from instrumentation, and entering data.
What led you to a career in science?
As a child I was always poking around in rock pools, then in grade 10 I had this amazing biology teacher Dr Stren who was a marine biologist on sabbatical from the University of Palau. She was inspirational and most of our studies that year were on marine invertebrates – I was hooked.
What’s the best part of your job?
The best part is the diversity of locations/Sea Country I get to experience during the course of collecting the water samples, and the variety of activities involved getting all the samples to their end point.
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
I have faced many challenges throughout my 42-year career in science. Early in my career, I encountered discriminatory attitudes toward women in the field. As my career progressed, balancing the demands of scientific work with family life – particularly when my child was young – required constant negotiation and resilience. Throughout, I also navigated the increasing competitiveness for research funding and the persistent pressure of the “publish or perish” culture.
Megan Proctor
Megan Proctor plans remote research trips and assists large-scale marine habitat mapping for coastal ecosystems across northern Australia. Some days, she’s flying around in a helicopter or dropping a camera off a boat, while many other days she is analysing images, creating flyers to share findings with local communities, and writing reports.
What led you to a career in science?
I grew up on the east coast in the US, spending summers at the beach and exploring tidal flats. I had a constant curiosity about the natural world and a special love of the ocean. As I got older, I was interested in the interaction between people and their environment and how science is communicated – I was convinced that if more people knew how amazing and important our ocean ecosystems are, then more people would take action to protect them. My first trip to Australia and diving on the Great Barrier Reef cemented my path and I’ve had the privilege of working across many different areas of marine science including science communication, tourism, and research.
What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is being surrounded by incredibly passionate and intelligent people doing meaningful work, constantly learning new things and exploring remote regions of Australia.
I have the great privilege of working with many Indigenous Rangers and Traditional Owners; being invited onto their Land and Sea Country and trusted with their knowledge and stories is a unique opportunity I will never take for granted. It is interesting, inspiring, and very fulfilling work!
What are some of the challenges as a woman working in science?
My early experiences showed me that higher levels of science were often dominated by men and characterised by competition, ego, and a work-work-work mentality. That environment didn’t appeal to me and at times I doubted if there was space for me to thrive in this field. Fortunately, I have had wonderful women mentors along my journey, and their example and encouragement led me to persevere and carve a path that suited me without compromising my values. I am grateful for the collaborative and supportive culture of my team at TropWATER that allows for personal and professional development, high-quality work, and a more manageable work-life balance.
