Aurora Expeditions honours female scientists to mark International Women's Day

Explorer Dr Sylvia Earle now has an expedition ship named after her (photo courtesy Todd Brown/Aurora Expeditions).

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Australia’s Aurora Expeditions has dedicated its brand new expedition ship to five of the world’s leading conservationists.

Syliva Earle is named after marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr Sylvia Earle and is due to set sail in November this year.

And in a continuation of the International Women's Day celebrations, each of the vessel’s public decks will be named after pioneering female conservationists. They include coral conservation champion Dr Carden Wallace, plastic-free pioneer Joanna Ruxton, educator Sharon Kwok, who founded the AquaMeridan Conservation and Education Foundation to promote marine education, and Bernadette Demientieff, advocate for the rights of Alaska and the Gwich’in people in northeast Alaska and northwest Canada.

“Female scientists are leading the way in global conservation initiatives,” said Aurora Expeditions chief executive officer Monique Ponfoort. “We want to honour these five extraordinary women who work tirelessly to make the world a better place.”

Ponfoort added that as well as the deck theming, Aurora Expeditions will also be educating guests on the important conservation work they carry out.

“We are so proud to be able to honour these incredibly talented women,” she said.

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 to highlight female achievement and promote equality. This year's theme is 'Choose to Challenge'.