Karen GowlettHolmesof Karen Gowlett-Holmes

I am a marine biologist, and have worked in this field for over 25 years. I have published over 40 scientific papers, books, book chapters and popular articles, and was nominated for the Eureka Award for scientific journalism in 2000. In addition to SCUBA diving, I also spends considerable time at sea on research and commercial fishing vessels, studying deep-sea marine life. While I have traveled to many tropical areas with my work, my first love is the diverse cold-temperate waters of southern Australia and New Zealand, and I am now based in Tasmania.
I am a recognized expert in the identification and classification of benthic invertebrate animals, particularly molluscs, and am an internationally recognized expert on chitons (a class of molluscs). I have been pursuing underwater photography professionally since 1991, specializing in macro-photography, particularly of invertebrates, but also of plants and benthic fishes. Via painstaking collection of specimens and working closely with other experts in the field, my stock images of marine life are accurately identified down to species where possible, and covers all macro marine invertebrate phyla. I regard my photography as an extension of her scientific research, and as way of showing people the beauty of some of the less well-known marine life. I am a current accredited member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP), and was awarded my Master of Photography by the Institute in 2003. The Institute also presented me with an award on International Womens Day, 2009, in recognition of my photographic skills and contribution to the industry. I have also won many national and international prizes for my photography. View More...