Shark Bay: where Indigenous knowledge and marine science meet

Professor Michael Wear, a Malgana Traditional Custodian from Shark Bay, has been honoured at the 26th Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science for his groundbreaking work uniting Indigenous knowledge and marine science. He is the inaugural winner of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems. Through his company Tidal Moon, Professor Wear is leading a world-first seagrass restoration project that employs Aboriginal divers, supports sustainable livelihoods, and restores cultural connections to Sea Country. His work highlights how traditional wisdom and Western science can come together to protect Australia’s oceans and climate.