We are saddened to report that Smithsonian Senior Research Scientist Emeritus and former director of the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Dr. Mary Esther Rice, passed away yesterday at the age of 94.

Having joined our staff in 1966, Mary was one of the first female research scientists and curators in our Department of Invertebrate Zoology and she was the founding director of what is now the Smithsonian Marine Station at Ft. Pierce Florida.

This latter achievement brought to fruition her vision of establishing of a facility where scientists from the Smithsonian and beyond would acquire hands-on access to marine life and the means to pursue their specialized areas of interest.

Mary had a long-standing interest in the life histories of marine invertebrates with a special focus and passion for sipunculan worms which carried on well into her retirement.

Mary’s vision and commitment to mentoring has enabled multiple generations of scientists to pursue knowledge and provide invaluable contributions toward a better understanding of our natural world.