[5][6] On July 12, 2022, she became the first and only Black person to dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth, and to successfully operate a side scan sonar at full-ocean depth.

[15] Wright's research interests include mapping of seafloor spreading zones and coral reefs, spatial analysis and geographic information systems as applied to the marine environment.

[17][18][19] Another influential work is an article published in 1997,[20] which was widely cited for its analysis of the perception of GIS among geographers in the early 1990s.

[28] A strong advocate of STEM as well as science communication, she has been profiled by outlets such as (www.womenoceanographers.org),[29] The Oceanography Society,[30] The Atlantic,[31] NOAA's Sea Grant Program,[32] NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program,[33] Science magazine,[34] Harvard Design magazine,[35] Environment, Coastal & Offshore (ECO) magazine,[36] The HistoryMakers,[37] Let Science Speak,[38] COMPASS Blogs,[39] Ensia,[40] Nature News,[41] BBC radio[42] and a host of student projects.

[43] Wright is a member of several editorial boards including GigaScience, Geography Compass, Journal of Coastal Conservation, The Anthropocene Review, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Marine Geodesy, and Transactions in GIS.