Beryl Iris Brewin (10 September 1910 – 8 January 1999) was a New Zealand marine zoologist, specialising in

ascidians Ascidiacea, commonly known as the ascidians, tunicates (in part), and sea squirts (in part), is a polyphyletic class in the subphylum Tunicata of sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. Ascidians are characterized by a tough outer "tun ...

(sea squirts).

Academic career

Brewin was born 10 September 1910 to parents Lucy and Frank Brewin. She graduated from

Auckland University College , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn ...

in 1931 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

in botany and zoology. This was followed by an MSc in botany in 1933. Brewin, described as a 'live wire', worked at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

Department of Zoology from 1936 to 1963. She had reached senior lecturer level when she retired. Brewin submitted her

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

thesis, consisting of 18 papers published between 1942 and 1957 to the

University of New Zealand The University of New Zealand was New Zealand's sole degree-granting university from 1874 to 1961. It was a collegiate university embracing several constituent institutions at various locations around New Zealand. After it was dissolved in 196 ...

in 1958. According to

GBIF The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international organisation that focuses on making scientific data on biodiversity available via the Internet using web services. The data are provided by many institutions from around th ...

, she named more than 80 species or genera from New Zealand and Australia. In 1954, Brewin was the second woman to be appointed to the Council of the

Royal Society Te Apārangi The Royal Society Te Apārangi (in full, Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi) is an independent, statutory not-for-profit body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities. History The R ...

, after her colleague

Marion Fyfe Marion Liddell Fyfe (1 September 1897 – 26 August 1986) was a New Zealand academic, specialising in taxonomy of planarians and other flatworms, the first woman zoology lecturer at the University of Otago, and the first woman to be elected to ...

, also from the Department of Zoology at Otago. Brewin served four years on the council. Brewin retired in 1963, and left nearly half a million dollars to the University of Otago in 1999, for the purposes of providing more comfortable accommodation for marine researchers at the

Portobello marine laboratory The Portobello Marine Laboratory is located on the end of a short peninsula close to the township of Portobello, within the limits of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island. It is run as part of the University of Otago, the main ca ...

. She also bequeathed $1 million for the purchase of a research vessel, the RV ''Beryl Brewin'' in her honour. In 2017, Brewin was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "

150 women in 150 words Fifteen or 15 may refer to: * 15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

", celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.

Selected species named by Brewin

* '' Leptoclinides marmoreus'' Brewin, 1956 * ''

Synoicum herdmani ''Synoicum'' is a genus of colonial sea squirts, tunicates in the family Polyclinidae Polyclinidae is a family of tunicates in the order Enterogona. It describes a group of marine animals. Genera The World Register of Marine Species lists ...

'' Brewin, 1956 * ''

Arnbackia novaezelandiae ''Arnbackia'' is a genus of ascidian tunicates in the family Styelidae Styelidae is a family of ascidian tunicates.Lambert, G.; Gittenberger, A.; Sanamyan, K. (2015)Styelidae Sluiter, 1895.In: Shenkar, N.; Gittenberger, A.; Lambert, G.; Rius, ...

'' Brewin, 1950 * ''

Aplidium maritimum ''Aplidium'' is a genus of colonial sea squirts, tunicates in the family Polyclinidae. There are about 188 species in the genus found in shallow waters around the world. Species The following species are listed in this genus according to the ...

'' Brewin, 1958 * ''

Aplidium knoxi ''Aplidium'' is a genus of colonial sea squirts, tunicates in the family Polyclinidae. There are about 188 species in the genus found in shallow waters around the world. Species The following species are listed in this genus according to the ...

'' Brewin, 1956 * '' Alloeocarpa minuta'' Brewin, 1951 * ''

Botryllus stewartensis ''Botryllus'' is a genus of colonial ascidian tunicates in the family Styelidae. Species Species in this genus include: * '' Botryllus arenaceus'' Monniot, 1988 * ''Botryllus aster'' Monniot, 1991 * '' Botryllus closionis'' Monniot, Monniot, G ...

'' Brewin, 1958 * '' Pseudodistoma opacum'' Brewin, 1950 * ''

Pyura rugata ''Pyura'' is a large genus of sessile ascidians that live in coastal waters at depths of up to 80 m (260 feet). Like all ascidians, ''Pyura'' are filter feeders. A few species, including Pyura chilensis are commercially fished. Specie ...

'' Brewin, 1948 * '' Aplidium benhami'' Brewin, 1946 * '' Aplidium siphonum'' Brewin, 1956 * '' Pyura carnea'' Brewin, 1948 * ''

Leptoclinides sluiteri ''Leptoclinides'' is a genus of tunicates belonging to the family Didemnidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Leptoclinides'': *'' Leptoclinides aciculus'' *'' Leptoclinid ...

'' Brewin, 1950 * '' Ritterella sigillinoides'' Brewin, 1958 * '' Aplidium powelli'' Brewin, 1958 * '' Amaroucium maritimum'' Brewin, 1958 * '' Distaplia taylori'' Brewin, 1950

Selected works

* * * * * * *

References

External links

Species named by Brewin (listed at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility)Specimens collected by Brewin, listed on Bionomia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewin, Beryl 1910 births 1999 deaths New Zealand women academics University of Auckland alumni University of Otago faculty New Zealand marine biologists