Loisette M. Marsh

Loisette M. Marsh
Born3 October 1928 Edit this on Wikidata
Mill Bay Edit this on Wikidata
Died20 May 2021 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 92)
Cottesloe Edit this on Wikidata
Alma mater
OccupationZoologist Edit this on Wikidata
Employer
Awards
  • Member of the Order of Australia (For significant service to marine science and zoology., The late Mrs Loisette Matilda MARSH, 2021)
  • Whitley Awards (2021) Edit this on Wikidata
Scholia has a profile for Loisette M. Marsh (Q98164655).

Loisette M. Marsh (1928–2021) was a Canadian-born Australian marine biologist.

Early life and education

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

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

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

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "Marsh (Rutt)". Methodist Ladies' College (en-AU). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  3. ^ "AusStage: Loisette Rutt". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Trove: Ecology of the Western Australian limestone reefs (Thesis 1955)". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b "IN MEMORIAM | Western Australian Naturalists Club: The Late Mrs. Loisette Matilda Marsh AM". www.wanaturalists.org.au. 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Australian Honours: The late Mrs Loisette Matilda Marsh". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. ^ Centre for Transformative Innovation. "Loisette M. Marsh - Records - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". www.eoas.info. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  8. ^ "2021 Winners - RZSNSW - Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales". www.rzsnsw.org.au. Retrieved 1 March 2022.