Rings of time – Growing community and understandings of ecology
When Louise Hosking sits down in the lab with a scalpel to extract and study the bones of sharks, she follows in the footsteps of her mentors.
Article published in Issue 219 of ATSE's IMPACT magazine – Forging innovation across generations, a special 50th anniversary edition published in October 2025.
When Louise Hosking sits down in the lab with a scalpel to extract and study the bones of sharks, she follows in the footsteps of her mentors.
Supported by an Elevate: Boosting diversity in STEM scholarship from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) to study her PhD at the University of South Australia, Louise is forging a new path in the world of fisheries and environmental research.
Animals, particularly marine animals – fish, sharks, shellfish, cephalopods and more – create growth rings and trap chemicals in their bony tissues as they age, much like the rings in tree trunks. The study of these bony structures and everything they can tell us about where and how the creatures lived is called sclerochronology. In the 1990s, Dr Bronwyn Gillanders at the University of Sydney was one of the first researchers in Australia to apply these techniques to our unique species and waterways, learning about the many fish species and the way they trap trace elements like calcium and manganese in the tiny bones of their ears.
Since then, Bronwyn has continued to develop our understanding of the marine species who live in and around South Australia, as one part of an expansive multidisciplinary research program working across academia and industry to improve environmental and commercial outcomes. Now a Professor at the University of Adelaide, she was elected as an ATSE Fellow in 2023, she was recognised for her groundbreaking marine environmental research that is critically relevant to the management of commercial fisheries and the protection of coastal environments. She gives policy advice, helps develop research strategies, and is committed to mentoring and supporting the next generation of STEM leaders.
Along the way, she recruited Dr Zoë Doubleday, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Tasmania, to join her research group. Zoë took the research that started with fish and applied it to many other animal species. Her work is now focused on building new methods to analyse hard animal tissues, and how this can help us protect and understand the state of the local ecology. By navigating the chemical fingerprints stored in those tissues, her research team is surfacing robust data on the state of the environment, ecological conditions, animal health and biological diversity. Zoë’s initial four-year contract, working with Bronwyn’s guidance in Adelaide, provided the career security and guidance that has set her up for major impact and a successful academic and science communication career.
A Superstar of STEM through Science & Technology Australia’s award-winning diversity, visibility and skills development program, in 2022 Zoë also received one of ATSE’s prestigious ICM Agrifood Awards for her work across marine ecology and geochemistry to develop a method to trace the provenance of seafood. This work is combatting seafood fraud and illegal fishing, helping safeguard ecosystems and Australia’s multi-billion dollar seafood industry. She is also nurturing a new generation of marine scientists, welcoming a diverse cohort of students and research assistants into the lab.
Through the knowledge we can unlock, it’s possible to reduce the impact. When people are looking up to you, as a scientist, I want to show them there are things we can do to help.
Zoë’s approach to leadership is open, proactive and non-judgmental. From Bronwyn, she learnt about the importance of having an ambitious and welcoming role model to show students the ins and outs of the profession. Now, she is that role model for those around her. A leader and academic supervisor, she empowers her colleagues in the lab and beyond to take on the challenges they want, and provides opportunities to learn and grow.
With a significant underrepresentation of women in marine and fisheries science, Zoë and Bronwyn continue to break down walls for themselves and their students. Knowing what their students are going through, Zoë and Bronwyn both share their knowledge freely and opens doors to networks and initiatives that lead to career growth. The fisheries sector needs diverse skillsets – and diverse perspectives are more important than ever when it comes to dealing with increasing climate impacts and environmental concerns.
As first a volunteer, then a research assistant and now a PhD student in Zoë’s lab, Louise brings her skydiving, scuba diving, earth-loving perspectives to the intricate and hands-on world of shark and oceans research. Her drive to protect the environment and show other girls that they can be part of science too are what make her who she is.
Aligned in their discipline and their commitment to diversity, Louise, Zoë and Bronwyn are also connected by an ATSE thread weaving into their careers. Louise follows in their footsteps, the mentors who came before her. On the algal blooms devastating the seas of Southern Australia, she describes a helplessness, but also a drive to act:
