Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker

Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker
Born
Kathleen Mary Drew

(1901-11-06)6 November 1901
Died14 September 1957(1957-09-14) (aged 55)
Manchester, England
Other namesMother of the Sea
Alma materUniversity of Manchester (BS, 1922), (MSc, 1923), (DSc, 1939)
Known forStudy of Porphyra umbilicalis
Spouse
Henry Wright-Baker
(m. 1928)
Children2
Scientific career
FieldsPhycology
Institutions
Author abbrev. (botany)K.M.Drew

Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (6 November 1901 – 14 September 1957) was an English phycologist. She was known for her research on the edible seaweed Porphyra umbilicalis (nori), which led to a breakthrough for commercial cultivation.[1]

Kathleen Drew-Baker's scientific legacy is revered in Japan, where she has been named Mother of the Sea.[2] Her work is celebrated each year on 14 April. A monument to her was erected in 1963 at the Sumiyoshi shrine in Uto, Kumamoto, Japan.

  1. ^ Drew, Kathleen M. (1949). "Conchocelis-phase in the life-history of Porphyra umbilicalis (L.) Kütz". Nature. 164 (4174): 748–749. Bibcode:1949Natur.164..748D. doi:10.1038/164748a0. S2CID 4134419.
  2. ^ "Titanic musician and palace intruder enter dictionary". BBC News. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2010.