Women and science: Maude Jean Delap

Self-taught Irish naturalist, a pioneer in the study of jellyfish, and a key figure in 20th-century marine biology, Maude Jean Delap was born in Donegal and developed an interest in marine life after moving to Valentia Island in 1874, taking advantage of its unique environment to observe and experiment.

She is best known for being the first to breed jellyfish in a laboratory. She was inspired by German biologists Georg and Mary Parker who visited Valentia in 1895. Maude designed rudimentary equipment to study various marine species, including the compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella). Her research provided valuable information about their life stages, especially the transition from polyp to jellyfish, an aspect little understood at the time.

Maude Delap turned down job offers from prestigious scientific institutions, such as the Natural History Museum in London, to stay at Valentia. Her work was widely recognized by scholars, and she published important articles for many years. However, her contributions were underestimated, due to the social restrictions towards women of her time.

He dedicated his entire life to observing nature and conserving the marine environment of his native island. He died in 1953, leaving behind a key legacy for the modern understanding of jellyfish. His work has been rediscovered and recognized as fundamental to the modern understanding of jellyfish and their ecology.

This work includes illustrations made for a popular article about Maude Jane Delap in the “Women and Science” section of the Okeanos Magazine of the Atlantic Society of Oceanographers, which seeks to highlight the important role of many women in the knowledge of the oceans throughout history.

Year: 2023
Technique: Digital illustration.
Illustration type: Naturalistic.
Type of project/Client: Okeanos Magazine.