The scholarships, awarded by Women Divers Hall of Fame, recognise and support scuba
divers who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the exploration, understanding,
safety, and enjoyment of marine environments.

PhD student Gabriela Wood, whose research looks at how nutrients and temperature
changes affect marine sponges, says it is a huge honour to be a recipient.

"It’s a United States organisation, but applicants apply from all over the world, and they don’t
award many scholarships. Having others recognise the value of your research and agreeing
that it’s worth studying feels really validating.”

Gabriela was awarded the Rachel Morrison Memorial Graduate Marine Conservation
Scholarship. The funds will go towards assessing how sponges around Wellington’s coast
respond to stressors such as elevated temperatures.

Fellow PhD student Miriam Pierotti was awarded the Richard Laurence Parish Foundation
Scholarship in Coral Conservation. She conducts research at dive sites in Fiordland,
focusing on the ecology and resilience of black coral in the face of environmental stressors.

“Thanks to the scholarship, I can broaden the scope of my research. The funding will go
towards additional expeditions to remote places. I will integrate monitoring surveys in these
remote areas with genetic analysis, furthering our understanding of black coral ecology and
biology.”

Both Gabriela and Miriam are international students who are completing their postdoctoral
studies at the University's Te Toka Tū Moana—Coastal Ecology Lab. They attribute a portion
of their success to Professor James Bell, who is the Marine Biology programme director at
Victoria University. He has fostered a collaborative environment conducive to professional
development, Gabriela says.

“James has created a space where collaboration thrives, offering us numerous opportunities
to explore marine environments globally, which has been immensely beneficial for our
academic study.”

Miriam echoes these sentiments, “In James’s lab group there is a perfect blend of
professional and personal growth opportunities. Additionally, having access to the
University’s purpose-built lab right on the beachfront is a great advantage, I have never had
that before.”

As both students reach the midpoint of their postdoctoral degrees, they express gratitude for
the scholarships that will enable them to expand their research. While acknowledging the
scholarships’ aim of recognising women in traditionally male-dominated technical areas like
diving, they take special pride the University's notable achievement: a majority of divers in
the lab being women.