In November 2025, Churchill Fellows Dr Michela Mitchell CF, 2020 and Dr Gemma Galbraith CF, 2024 participated as research scientists on board the RV Investigator for a 36-day voyage to the south-east Coral Sea Marine Park, Queensland.
The voyage focused on benthic marine life — species living on or near the seafloor — across seamounts (underwater mountains) in this remote and ecologically significant region. Dr Mitchell was the lead scientist for sea anemones, while Dr Galbraith contributed as a mesophotic ecologist.
A total of 38 scientists from 12 institutions took part in the expedition, supported by CSIRO, the Marine National Facility, Parks Australia, BioBlitz and The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census.
Further details about the voyage are available here: https://www.csiro.au/en/about/facilities-collections/mnf/voyages-schedules/voyages/2025/october/in2025_v06
As part of the Ocean Census initiative, both Fellows attended workshops in Brisbane and Melbourne in early 2026 to analyse collected material and contribute to collaborative research. This work is expected to improve understanding of species distribution and support the protection of deep-sea environments.
Dr Mitchell has also recently been named an Associate Investigator on a $3 million NHMRC Centre of Excellence project, Curse and Cure: The Deadly Venom Project, led by the University of Queensland, which explores venom-based therapies and treatment of envenomation.
Dr Galbraith’s current role as an AIMS@JCU postdoctoral researcher includes further collaboration from the Coral Sea project, focusing on deep-sea connectivity using collected samples and hydrodynamic modelling.
Both Fellows noted the presence of other Churchill Fellows contributing to scientific work during the voyage, reflecting the ongoing impact of the Fellowship across fields and locations.
Photo below: Coral Sea specimen of a deep-sea symbiosis between a hermit crab and an epizoanthid, sometime referred to as an encrusting anemone and related to coral. Photo Credit: Assoc. Prof. Sue Watson (James Cook University)
