Anne Elizabeth Ball

Anne Elizabeth Ball was born in Cóbh, County Cork, Ireland in 1808, the sister of naturalists Robert and Mary Ball. Her father, Bob Stawell Ball, ignited the family's passion for natural history, leading Anne to collect marine algae in Youghal and later Dublin. Although male naturalists like William Henry Harvey published her work, they honoured her discoveries by naming the genus Ballia and species Cladophora balliana after her. She continued collecting until her death in Dublin in 1872, leaving behind drawings and specimens now scattered across several museums.