The most recent Google Doodle honours Argentinian marine biologist Irene Bernasconi, who in 1968 headed a risky biological mission to Antarctica.
This Monday, November 7, the Google Doodle will honour the renowned marine biologist and expert on echinoderms Irene Bernasconi.
The fact that she is surrounded by starfish, one of her favourite research species, honours her work and dedication to biology.
On September 29, 1896, in La Plata, Argentina, Irene Bernasconi was born. She began teaching in 1918 and focused on natural science subjects before landing a job in the early 1920s at the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences.
Her academic career was able to advance as a result, and in 1925 she published a scientific paper on molluscs and marine invertebrates. Over the course of her career, she spent more than 50 years researching these animals.
Irene Bernasconi, then 72 years old, made biological history in 1968 when she became the first Italian woman to command a maritime mission to Antarctica.
Despite the hazardous conditions, she and her team of three other scientists explored the biodiversity close to the South Pole.
They gathered more than 2,000 Antarctic plant and echinoderm specimens throughout their voyage. The Women's Embassy in America presented her team with a commemorative medal in 1969 as a consequence.