Nicole Webster

Professor Nicole Webster is an Australian marine scientist who is the Executive Director for the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania.[1]

Early life

Nicole Webster gained an undergraduate degree and PhD in marine biology at James Cook University. Professor Webster's research discovered that sponge-microbial associations are fairly uniform throughout large geographic zones and highlighted the specificity of this partnership. She also discovered that the breakdown of this symbiosis may be a good indicator of environmental stress.[2]

Career

Webster conducted postdoctoral research in Antarctica through the University of Canterbury and Gateway Antarctica.[3] Her research analyzed how microbe symbiosis can be biologically indicative of environmental strain in Antarctic marine ecosystems and also examined how microorganisms trigger the settlement and metamorphosis of coral reef invertebrates.[4]

Webster became a research scientist at the Australian Institute for Marine Science (AIMS) and Principal Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics located at the University of Queensland.[4] In 2024, she is an Honorary Professor at UQ in the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences.[5]

In 2021, Webster was appointed Chief Scientist for the Australian Antarctic Division,[3] succeeding Gwen Fenton. As such, she took part in the 2022 Australian Antarctic Division Science Symposium in Canberra, speaking on climate science, the Southern Ocean and new technology,[6] as well as the 2023 New Zealand/ Australia Antarctic Science Conference in Christchurch, where she spoke on joint research.[7] She also oversaw two drilling operations in the Antarctic plateau.[8]

In 2024, she was ranked as the number one Australian Antarctic Division scientist.[9]

In January 2024, she was appointed as Executive Director for the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania.[1] She is also part of the committee for the Centre for Marine Socioecology in Hobart.[10]

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b University of Tasmania website, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science section, Senior Management Team, retrieved 2024-06-06
  2. ^ a b Science.org website, Oakley, C. (6 May 2010). Dr Nicole Webster, marine scientist., Retrieved 21 March 2018
  3. ^ a b "Australian Antarctic division's new chief scientist Nicole Webster ready to plunge into the role". ABC News. 24 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b Ecodim website, Nicole Webster. (n.d.)., Retrieved 22 March 2018
  5. ^ University of Queensland website, Nicole Webster, retrieved 2024-06-06
  6. ^ Australian Antarctica Program website, Symposium sets the scene for research on frozen continent and icy seas, article dated September 24, 2022
  7. ^ Antarctica New Zealand website, Antarctic scientists gather in Christchurch, article dated July 25, 2023
  8. ^ PS News website, Antarctic’s PS staff warm to the climate, article dated October 24, 2022
  9. ^ AD Scientific Index 2024 website, Australian Antarctic Division Scientists Rankings (Sort by last 6 years H Index) 2024, retrieved 2024-06-06
  10. ^ Centre for Marine Socioecology website, Steering Committee, retrieved 2024-06-06