Scots marine scientist selected to join Antarctic expedition

Glasgow-raised Dr Raeanne Miller with education secretary Angela Constance, right. Picture: Contributed

Dr Raeanne Miller, a marine ecologist, is the only Scot to have been selected for the Australian-led Homeward Bound international three-week long outreach trip.

The project aims to reach 1,000 women with a science background from across the globe over the next decade and will give them the experience and support to take up and stay in leadership roles.

Dr Miller said the trip was a “really fantastic opportunity”.

“I live in an incredibly rural area and opportunities like this don’t happen all the time so it is a wonderful chance to bring the enthusiasm, knowledge and understanding that we will develop on the expedition to my work back at home and share it with colleagues,” she said.

“Between now and November I will be raising funds for my contribution to the expedition and preparing to leave from Argentina in December.”

Now living in Oban, Dr Miller’s family are originally from Glasgow. She works with the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and has interests in species bio-geography – where and why different species are found and why – as well as marine renewable energy.

Dr Miller won a place on the expedition after submitting a video application.

The trip departs from Ushuaia, Argentina, between 2-21 December.

Education secretary Angela Constance welcomed the involvement of a woman scientist from Scotland in the expedition.

She added: “If her achievement encourages just one young girl to follow in her footsteps and choose science as a career, that would be a great additional outcome.”