Bennett, Isobel Ida (1909-2008), was an Australian marine biologist . She is most famous for her expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef . The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest system of coral reefs . It is made up of more than 3,000 individual reefs that extend about 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers) along the northeast coast of Australia .
Bennett was born in Brisbane, Australia, on July 9, 1909. Her family suffered financial hardship, and Bennett had to leave school at the age of 16 to earn a living. She worked as a secretary but lost her job when the Great Depression began. The Great Depression was a worldwide economic slump in the 1930’s. While on a cruise with her sister, Bennett met William J. Dakin, a professor of zoology at the University of Sydney . He offered her a job plotting whale sightings from ships logs. Although Bennett lacked formal training, her hard work, curiosity, and attention to detail earned her a long and successful career as a marine biologist. She studied shore life and the Great Barrier Reef extensively.
In 1962, Bennett received an honorary Master of Science degree from the University of Sydney, and in 1995, she was recognized for her work with an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of New South Wales . Bennett wrote several books, including The Great Barrier Reef (1971), which became one of the most thorough accounts on the subject. In 1982, she received the Mueller Medal for her contributions to Australian zoology. Bennett died on Jan. 12, 2008.
