Helene Marsh Medal

Emeritus Professor Helene Marsh, James Cook University

BSc. Hons 1 UQ 1968; PhD JCU 1973

Helene is most proud of the accomplishments of the almost 100 Honours, Masters and PhD students that she has supervised to graduation, who are making a difference all over the world. Helene was the first woman to receive a PhD from JCU.

Helene Marsh is a marine conservation biologist with more than 50 years’ experience in research into species conservation, management and policy with particular reference to tropical coastal and riverine megafauna, especially marine mammals.

Her contributions have been recognised with an Order of Australia and prestigious awards from the Pew Foundation, the Society for Conservation Biology, the American Society of Mammalogists and the Australian Marine Science Association. She is the immediate past Vice-President and Secretary of Biological Sciences of the Australian Academy of Science and a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Zoological Society of NSW.

The policy outcomes of her research include significant contributions to the science base of the conservation of coastal marine mammals, especially dugongs and their seagrass habitats in Australia and internationally.

Helene has been a key member of the technical advisory groups that have advised the Commonwealth and Queensland governments on the Great Barrier Reef for many years including: chairing the statutory Great Barrier Reef Consultative Committee (1989-2000), being a member of the Reef Advisory Committee for Conservation (2001-2009), and the Independent Expert Panel which provides strategic advice on the implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan (2015-24).

As well as being Professor Emeritus in Environmental Science at James Cook University, Helene works as the cross-cutting initiative leader for threatened species for the National Environmental Science Program (NESP). Based in the Resilient Landscape Hub, Helene has had the task of reaching out across the four NESP science hubs to synthesise research on threatened species across the Hubs. Helene chaired the statutory Threatened Species Scientific Committee that advises the Australian Minister for Environment from 2011 to 2023.

The Helene Marsh Medal, accompanied by a cash prize, is awarded to the student who delivers the best final seminar across the CSE Honours disciplines (excluding Engineering and Veterinary Sciences).

This accolade honours both outstanding academic achievement and exceptional presentation skills. Finalists are nominated by an academic committee representing the various discipline groups within the college, with approximately five high-achieving students from across the CSE cohort invited to compete.

$500 voucher, along with a certificate and a medal

If funding is available, $100 gift vouchers for runners up.

2025 - Emma Naumann