Dr . Mary Cole wrapped up a remarkable 38-year career at East London Museum,where she immersed herself in studying shelled creatures from massive deep-sea squid to tiny snails. She gave a farewell lecture Thursday,“Collections and Recollections, 38 years at the EL Museum,” in Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer Hall,drawing 52 guests.
Growing up on a farm near KuGompo City, Cole’s love for nature started early. She recalled exploring bush and trees around her home,sparking her passion for the natural world. Her husband,Kevin Cole,principal natural scientist at the museum,praised her legacy,noting a species,Afrohytida burseyae, is named after her.
Cole identified and classified 25 new species over her career. She stressed snails' crucial ecological role,calling them “nature’s compositor.” Only about 100 of estimated 100,000 snail species are pests or disease carriers.
In her lecture, she warned of alarming decline in land snail populations due to habitat destruction . Mining in unique habitats like Malaysia's desert Inselbergs and the Sahara poses a major threat. “Land snails are disappearing,” she said,spotlighting the Anthropocene's dire impact.
Hawaii faces a severe crisis; many snail species survive only in museums. last O’hau tree snail,George,died January 1,2019. University of Hawaii research shows snail extinction rates range from 30% to 80%, mainly from habitat loss tied to agriculture and development.
“Snails can’t run away. They get wiped out,” Cole noted, highlighting their vulnerability. Yet,she's thrilled by thriving snail colonies on ocean floors,particularly near hydrothermal vents with unique ecosystems.
On land,snails are crucial for carbon capture, vital amid climate change. Cole urges ethical,accurate scientific research to fight environmental destruction, inspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, exposing pesticide harms.
Her academic path began with David Attenborough’s Life on Earth, prompting her switch from agriculture to zoology at University of Port Elizabeth. Childhood explorations in hills cemented her lifelong environmental science commitment.
Her family's education and exploration legacy fueled her passion. Her mother, Dr . Isabella Shepherd,was a doctor contributing to their smallholding . Her father,Athol, a chartered accountant, also nurtured her love for outdoors.
Cole’s career took her to South Africa’s wild places,from Wild Coast forests to Drakensberg mountains. Fieldwork required meticulous planning, permissions from landowners,battling weather and terrain for her research, often working late to clean and catalog specimens.
Kevin Cole reflected on her journey, noting her growth into a leading South African zoologist. He praised her dedication and impact on understanding natural world. “I understand our natural world and my place in it better because of Mary,” he said .
As Dr. Mary Cole retires, her legacy as a passionate advocate for malacology and conservation will inspire future scientists.
