Loisette M. Marsh
Loisette M. Marsh | |
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Born | 3 October 1928 Mill Bay |
Died | 20 May 2021 (aged 92) Cottesloe |
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Zoologist |
Employer |
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Awards |
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Loisette M. Marsh (1928–2021) was a Canadian-born Australian marine biologist.
Early life and education
[edit]Born Loisette Matilda Rutt in Mill Bay, British Columbia, she was an only child, who spent her earliest years exploring the sea and seashore adjacent to her home.[1] At age 10 (1938) she migrated to Australia with her parents, and was educated at MLC, Perth,[2] and then at the University of Western Australia, where she earned a B.A.,[3] followed by an M.A. in 1955.[4]
She married Brian Marsh and together in 1960 they moved to Norfolk Island and then to Fiji in 1963.[5] She returned to Perth in 1968,[5] where she again became a part-time demonstrator at UWA ( 1968-1969).[6]
Career
[edit]She joined the Western Australian Museum first as a part-time graduate assistant (1970-1973), becoming assistant curator marine invertebrates (1974-1977) and finally curator of marine invertebrates (1977-1993).[6]
In addition to her published research, she left 16 volumes of field notes, covering field work from 1972-1982 in the Fremantle area, off the shores the Western Australian coastline, including the Abrolhos Islands, Guam, Indonesia, Europe, Torres Strait, North-West Cape, New Guinea, and other places.[7]
Recognition
[edit]She was awarded an AM in 2021 for services to marine science and zoology,[6] and the Whitley Award in 2021 for the field guide she co-authored with Jane Fromont, Field Guide to the Shallow Water Seastars of Australia.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "91-year-old seastar expert Loisette Marsh publishes magnum opus and reflects on an intrepid career". Australian Geographic. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "Marsh (Rutt)". Methodist Ladies' College (en-AU). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "AusStage: Loisette Rutt". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "Trove: Ecology of the Western Australian limestone reefs (Thesis 1955)". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b "IN MEMORIAM | Western Australian Naturalists Club: The Late Mrs. Loisette Matilda Marsh AM". www.wanaturalists.org.au. 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b c "Australian Honours: The late Mrs Loisette Matilda Marsh". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ Centre for Transformative Innovation. "Loisette M. Marsh - Records - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". www.eoas.info. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "2021 Winners - RZSNSW - Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales". www.rzsnsw.org.au. Retrieved 1 March 2022.