By pretty much any measure, Vega Thurber (Microbiologist, Oregon State University) (Becky, to anyone who's met her at least once) is a badass marine biologist. She weathers bouts of seasickness like an old salt: “Take Bonine twice a day,” she advises, before noting dispassionately that “sometimes you end up barfing no matter what.” She pulls regular night-watch shifts alongside the crew of the research boat, TARA. And even after a grueling day of collection dives, followed by hours of coral sample processing, she leads yoga classes on TARA's swaying deck.