Palaeontologist and noted authority on Foraminifera and Ostracoda
Brent was born in Falkirk, Scotland, on November 10 1959 and grew up in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Brent completed a BSc in geology at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, followed by a master’s (1980-1982). Much of Brent’s research focussed on ecostratigraphy – the stratigraphic changes in foraminiferal communities – and its use in high resolution correlation within biostratigraphic zones.
Left: Brent Wilson. Image courtesy of Jacqui Wilson.
Teacher and mentor
In 1989, Brent was posted to the island of Nevis, the Caribbean, by the British charity, Voluntary Services Overseas. There he taught science and mathematics, undertook an external PhD in foraminiferal ecology through the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and met his wife, Jacqui.
In 1998, Brent moved to Trinidad and worked for five years as an industrial micropalaeontologist, focussing on foraminiferal biostratigraphy. In 2003, he was appointed lecturer in introductory geoscience and biostratigraphy for an industry-funded undergraduate petroleum geoscience programme in the chemical engineering department, University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad. Brent was the geological academic mainstay of the programme, both in his teaching and his mentoring of students. All speak highly of him and appreciated his counselling and guidance.
Contributions
Brent supervised eight PhD students, published over 95 papers in micropalaeontology, mostly on the eastern Caribbean Sea and Neogene of Trinidad, and a memoir about his time on Nevis,
Living on an Arc. He claimed his publications demonstrated that there is still much valuable and novel work to be conducted using only minimal equipment and resources. He presented research seminars globally, particularly at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., at which he was a research associate. He was made a member of the European Foraminifera in Biotic Monitoring Group in 2013, for which he specialised in tropical faunas.
Brent was a frequent reviewer for
Palaios,
Marine Micropaleontology, and
Biogeochemistry. He was a Fellow of the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, Fellow of the Geological Society of London, served as Director of the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (2008-2015) and made an honorary Fellow. He was the Caribbean correspondent for
Geology Today and was the associate editor of the
Journal of Foraminiferal Research focussing on Neogene biostratigraphy (2010-2024). In 2016, Brent won UWI’s most outstanding researcher award.
Passion for music
In 2017, he retired due to his health and became Emeritus Professor in Geology and Palaeontology. He moved to the west Welsh coast and conducted research on the benthic foraminifera of the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Coast of eastern Canada. Brent helped conduct Seashore Safaris for younger children through the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre. Beyond science, Brent had a passion for music composition and painting. His music has been performed in Trinidad and Wales, and his paintings grace the walls of homes and institutions.
He passed away at the age of 64 on 24 September 2024 following a long and stubborn fight against prostate cancer, with which he had been diagnosed in 2004. He leaves his wife Jacqui, of 30 years.
By Jacqui Wilson, Brent Wilson, and Richard Dawe