Karyn selected Zoology with Marine Zoology at the School of Ocean Sciences for her undergraduate degree course and then switched to Marine Biology in her final year. She graduated with a 1st Class Honours degree and her personal tutor, Dr David Bowers said this "she is diligent, intelligent student who attends classes regularly and works hard. She gets on with fellow students and staff and is a level-headed and perservering young woman, and a valued member of this University". Karyn put in the hours to achieve her goal and was incredibly single minded. Like many British marine biologists she developed a strong interest in the little creatures and algae that inhabit rocky shores rather than the dolphins, whales and turtles that first drew her to study marine zoology. To add to her challenge, I had moved to Brisbane in her final year to begin my PhD at the University of Queensland and Karyn came out to do her thesis research in Queensland. She surveyed a little known, but surprisingly diverse shore community in Moreton Bay, Queensland, dominated by hairy mussels!! The thesis title was "Population structure of the hairy mussel, Trichomys hirsutus Lamarck 1819 and its associated fauna and flora". Karyn and I enjoyed Bangor and drank in many of the pubs both in Bangor and on Anglesey. She rented a room in a house overlooking the Menai Straits that we called "Bleak House" and Karyn cycled to campus on her blue GT mountain bike through Menai village and over the suspension bridge to attend lectures in all weather conditions. Some of the most memorable nights out were at "Transience" an ambient trance night in the Student Union building. It was a full on rave with stage performers dressed as creatures in glow in the dark outfits. One post rave report said "The refectory had an ambience as good as some of the top clubs in Brighton and Manchester, and the music, hard and fast, kicked like a mule! It was good to see such a huge proportion of the people there getting off their arses and getting down".