Science has the power to change the world—but for too long, women and girls have faced barriers to fully participating in scientific fields. That’s why International Day of Women and Girls in Science is so important. It’s a moment to recognise the incredible contributions of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths), to inspire the next generation, and to continue pushing for greater inclusivity.
Here at Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, we know first-hand the impact of women in science. From marine biologists studying our incredible ocean life to environmental scientists leading conservation efforts, women are shaping the future of our blue planet. One of those inspiring leaders is our very own CEO, Elaine Hayes. With a background in marine science and a passion for protecting our oceans, Elaine has dedicated her career to making a real difference.
Join us as we celebrate the achievements of women in science, hear Elaine’s thoughts on the future of marine conservation, and spotlight the amazing women driving change in our field.
My name is Elaine, and I have the privilege of being the Chief Executive of Plymouth Sound National Marine Park – the first National Marine Park in the UK. I have been asked to share some thoughts on this, International Day of Women in Science.
Why science and in particular marine conservation? Well, I grew up spending every weekend on a beach – my Dad was a keen sea angler and as kids our job was to help find bait. But in doing so I discovered a whole world underwater and I was fascinated. I am a curious person and the fact that the sea was and to this day remains somewhere that we do not fully understand was enough for me to choose marine as my career (although I did also study brain and behaviour because I wanted to know how people tick!)
My journey into conservation was reasonably conventional – university, post-graduate and then into work. Although jobs in conservation were hard to get so I started out in the water industry and spent my weekends volunteering with seal pup rescue in Norfolk to feed my passion.
I found in my career that I like fixing things – useful when working for the R&D team in a water company – in that role it was sewage works we were fixing, and it was a great challenge. In my role I was able to undertake applied research in developing bacterial cultures to treat intractable wastes and published several papers with the support of my employer.
I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management and am passionate about ensuring equity of opportunity in our world. I continue to support careers development; currently this is co-supervising two amazing PhD students. (who also happen to be female!)
I moved into conservation as a paid role more than 10 years after I graduated – it was a long road, but I was determined. I have held a number of public appointments – working to ensure that conservation has a voice. One of my proudest moments was having a private lunch with HM The Queen – a thank you for my work.
I have worked in a wide range of conservation roles – run a wildlife trust, built an aquarium, now setting up the National Marine Park. What was the best? So many highlights – I think being the first to breed a rare bird in captivity rates pretty high on my list and developing a breeding protocol for a species of tropical ray was great… but the real highlight for me comes from the collaboration of great people working together – because it is by, with and through people that we achieve most.
I am inspired by working with a broad range of people and enjoy hearing new and different voices that may challenge our approaches or pre-conceptions.
From my experience I found women tend to present less assured, so if I had one piece of advice it would be to go for it – get out there and grab any/all the opportunities there are. Most of all, be confident in yourself and your abilities, there will always be only one of you and no one else can bring all of what you have to the table! If you are in Plymouth and looking to build your experience, come and volunteer with the National Marine Park – we will be delighted if you can join us. We as women need to not be afraid to be….us!