[1] Nicole Webster gained an undergraduate degree and PhD in marine biology at James Cook University.
Professor Webster's research discovered that sponge-microbial associations are fairly uniform throughout large geographic zones and highlighted the specificity of this partnership.
[3] Her research analyzed how microbe symbiosis can be biologically indicative of environmental strain in Antarctic marine ecosystems and also examined how microorganisms trigger the settlement and metamorphosis of coral reef invertebrates.
[5] In 2021, Webster was appointed Chief Scientist for the Australian Antarctic Division,[3] succeeding Gwen Fenton.
[9] In January 2024, she was appointed as Executive Director for the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania.