I am incredibly honoured to be appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in The King’s 2026 Honours List, for significant service to marine geology, ocean mapping, and geomorphology.

The Chair of the Council for the Order of Australia spoke of recipients going “above and beyond”. In my case, perhaps it has been a matter of going “below” and beyond—leading seafloor mapping expeditions to some of the remotest parts of Australia’s marine jurisdiction.

This recognition reflects the work of many outstanding people and organisations. My sincere thanks to the exceptional science teams I have had the privilege to work with over the years, including academic colleagues, CSIRO’s Marine National Facility, and the Schmidt Ocean Institute. I am also deeply grateful to Geoscience Australia and the Australian Hydrographic Office for their support and collaboration.

Most importantly, thank you to my family, whose unwavering support at home has made this lifelong quest to map Australia’s seas possible.