Beryl Iris Brewin (1910–1999)—Accomplished New Zealand scientist and promoter of marine science

Beryl Brewin, born in December 1910, was the youngest of two daughters to Frank and Lucy Brewin. Her parents, despite not having the opportunity to attend high school themselves, instilled in Beryl a love for learning and education. They engaged in various activities together, fostering her interest in science. Beryl fondly recalled daily walks with her father, where he would share his knowledge about flowers, birds, and trees and practical skills like drain-laying, building, and fishing. At the age of Standard 6 (around 11–12 years old), her father purchased a beach cottage in Kohimarama along with a dinghy, providing opportunities for the family to explore the shore and learn about different fish species (Thomson, 1994).

Beryl attended Epsom Girls' Grammar in Auckland, followed by Auckland University College, where she earned a BSc in Botany and Zoology in 1931 (Figure 1). She then pursued a BSc (Hons) in 1933, focusing on “the vegetation of the waterfalls of the Waitakere ranges.” In 1936, she was appointed to a temporary 1-year position in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago. Although it was a short stint, she found the experience enriching and was reluctant to leave, stating, “The end of my year in Otago came too quickly. I had learned a lot, and I could not have been in a more friendly place.” (Thomson, 1994). After her time in Otago, Beryl dedicated time to completing her teachers' training at Auckland Teachers College (Thomson, 1994).

After the war, Beryl had the opportunity to return to Otago as a lecturer in the Department of Zoology, thanks to the post-war increase in student numbers, stating, “I was lucky enough to be appointed and go back to working with friends.” (Brewin, 1994). She retired in 1963 as Senior Lecturer. Beryl's employment (as for most University lecturers then) was based on teaching ability and a field of in-depth knowledge. Her dedication to research focused on ascidians, particularly their identification, reproduction, and embryo development. Her first paper, published in 1946, was a study on ascidians near the Portobello Marine Station. This work, often done at the weekend, required a high level of enthusiasm and determination. Travel to the station was by train to Port Chalmers, then ferry to the marine station to carry out collections at low tide. This often required residing in a run-down residence next to the station.

During her time at Otago, Brewin was only the second woman elected to the Council of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and Otago branch representative from 1954 to 1958. She was also elected the first woman president of the Otago Branch. Brewin graduated in 1958 with a Doctor of Science (Figure 1)—her PhD thesis comprised of 18 published papers. In addition to her research and teaching, Brewin wrote biographical accounts of three early Otago Zoology Professors—FW Hutton (1836–1905), JT Parker (1850–1897), and WB Benham (1860–1950) (Brewin, 1954b).

The Portobello Marine Station was crucial to Brewin's early research on Ascidians (Brewin, 1945). Originally established in 1894 as a fish hatchery to introduce foreign fish species into local waters, the station was neglected during the war and depression years. The University of Otago subsequently purchased it for biological research purposes. At the time, it was the only marine biology station in New Zealand. Recognizing the station's significance (“The biological sciences in Otago were lucky to have at their disposal the Portobello Marine Station.” Brewin, 1994) played a major role in restoring its facilities before Dr Elizabeth (Betty) Batham returned to Dunedin from Cambridge, England, to assume management responsibilities on behalf of the University. Brewin actively contributed to the restoration efforts as the Portobello Marine Station board secretary, and she was frequently quoted in the local newspapers. The station at the time was primarily utilized by algologists and senior university students (Brewin, 1949, 1950a; Otago Daily Times (1949)). Brewin advocated for funding to renovate the cottage for student use (Brewin, 1949) and played a vital role in the board's efforts to restore the facilities at Portobello (Brewin, 1949). Additionally, she organized and conducted courses for senior students and facilitated social gatherings, or “jolly good conversazione” (Brewin, 1950a).

Brewin dedicated much of her studies to embryology, systematics, and geographical distribution of ascidians. Her research took her on an extensive exploration of New Zealand waters, spanning from one end of the country to the other. She often planned her holidays and weekends according to the moon phases, recognizing that most ascidians were accessible only during the low spring tides around the full and new moon (Otago Daily Times, 1957).

Brewin's significant contributions to ascidian biology were predominantly published in the Royal Society Te Apārangi Transactions. She named five genera Arnbackia (1950), Asterocarpa (1946), Berillia (1952), Dumus (1952), and Hypsistozoa (1953) and identified a remarkable 54 species of ascidians (Brewin, 1945, 1948, 1950b, 1950c, 1950d, 1951, 1952a, 1952b, 1953, 1954a, 1956b, 1956c, 1957, 1958a, 1958b, 1958c, 1960; GBIF, 2023). In addition, Brewin often employed novel methods to anesthetize ascidians for study, including the use of cocaine (Brewin, 1945).

Two examples of particularly notable ascidians characterized and identified by Brewin include: (1) Berillia boltenioides (Brewin, 1952a, 1952b). These colonies were described as irregularly shaped, with a salmon pink color, whose zooids are one of the few ascidians with transverse stigmata (Brewin, 1952a, 1952b). (2) Hypsistozoa fasmeriana; endemic to New Zealand, is a striking example of viviparity, observed in very few ascidians. They brood their young for an impressive ~5.5 months (Brewin, 1956a) (Figure 2).

During a Lady Margaret Hall (Oxford) fellowship for “refresher leave” between June 1959 and July 1960, Brewin embarked on a world-wide academic journey. Her travels took her to various locations, including London, Belgium, Naples, Japan, and Oxford, where she studied with Sir Alister Hardy. Additionally, she catalogued the New Zealand ascidians housed in the Natural History Museum of Copenhagen (“University Lecturer on Refresher Leave”, Otago Daily Times, 1959). Upon returning to Otago, Brewin described an appreciation of the region's abundant fauna and its close proximity to the sea—an ideal environment for conducting marine biology research (Otago Daily Times, 1960).”

Following her retirement in 1963, Beryl Brewin returned to Auckland to reside with her sister, Raye Brewin. She was honored as an Honorary Research Associate for her work on the systematic and developmental aspects of New Zealand Ascidians at the Leigh Marine Laboratory in Auckland. Additionally, she became a Life Member of the Biology Department at the Otago Museum in Dunedin. Although she did not continue to publish herself, she is widely recognized for providing valuable advice and assistance with ascidians in theses and publications.

During her retirement, Brewin enjoyed activities such as golf, gardening, and speculation in the stock market. In January 1999, she passed away in Auckland. Her legacy includes a remarkable contribution to marine science. She left $500,000 to the Portobello Marine Centre to update the accommodation facilities for visiting researchers. Furthermore, she donated $1 million to purchase a research vessel, which was later named the “Beryl Brewin” in her honor.

The Beryl Brewin Prize in Marine Science was established at Otago University in 2004 to commemorate her significant contributions. Additionally, in 2017, she was featured as one of the “150 women in 150 words” by the Royal Society, recognizing her achievements as a woman in science.

In summary, Beryl Brewin's meticulous taxonomic work, and unwavering passion for New Zealand's ascidian fauna, enriched our understanding of ascidian biodiversity, and has left an indelible mark on the field of marine biology.