Maria Rodgers, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Lab, studies the responses of marine species to oil in the Gulf of Mexico. With an impressive six publications to her name, read further to unravel how Maria got to where she is now.

Meet Ariel Pezner, a third year PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California San Diego whom is a biological oceanographer.

I grew up nowhere near the sea! As I was finishing college and thinking about going to university, I don’t think I’d ever really thought about marine science being a thing that anyone did, never mind physical oceanography.

The Maldives was once an enchanting underwater paradise, with crystal clear waters that erupt with colour and life. Yet, up to 90 % of its coral has been devastated by severe coral bleaching events in recent years. Emma Bell a Marine Biologist in South Male Atoll hopes to use her voice to inspire local communities

It’s the season for celebrations and what better to celebrate than women in leadership program Homeward Bound. The birth child of Fabian Dattner (Twitter: @FabianDattner), Homeward Bound aims to bring 1000 women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) together over 10 years through their training programming which culminates with an expedition in Antarctica.

Meet Lauren, she recently earned her masters in fisheries and aquatic sciences from the University of Florida. As a student, she had the opportunity to work in a lab focused on invasion ecology and took part in fisheries research. Lauren's research focused on determining the potential invasiveness of Alligator Gar while assisting with the risk assessment of non-native fish and amphibians.

Rebreathers, scientific diving, and mesophotic reefs, Sarah is the master of them all….

This week we interview seagrass enthusiast Dani Marston! After returning from a six-week marine research expedition along the coast of the Riviera Maya, she realised how important the unsung hero of our oceans – Seagrass – really is, and is determined to raise public awareness of this vital species!

Here she is in her own words…

Sometimes knowing what you want to do with your life is not so clear cut, and sometimes you fall into it without even realizing! Meet Kri McNamara, trained Biomedical Scientist turned Marine Conservationist,

This week we chat with the wonderful Kirsty Magson who spends her days swimming with whale sharks, helping rescue turtles, restoring coral and educating people about the ocean.

For our first ever guest on the Girls 4 Ocean interview series, we interview marine molecular biologist, Maha Cziesielski. From jellyfish DNA to corals and climate change, keep reading to find out about the magical molecular world of the ocean and Maha’s journey into marine biology…