Her first published paper was in 1949 on Inhibition of Brain Dehydrogenases by Acetylcholinesterases.
She met her future husband Thomas F. Goreau while studying in the US.
[1] They moved to Jamaica so her husband could teach at the University of the West Indies Medical School.
Her work focused on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and histology of coral reef organisms she found while diving.
[1] Together, they “completed fundamental research (there), including describing the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae and pioneering the use of scuba equipment for marine studies.”[3][4]