Marine Futures Lab Director Prof. Jessica Meeuwig Recognised with Order of Australia Honour
The Marine Futures Lab is incredibly proud to congratulate our Director, Professor Jessica Meeuwig, on her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), recognising her significant service to ocean science and conservation.
The Order of Australia honours Australians who have made outstanding contributions through professional achievement, leadership, and service to the community. Appointment as a Member (AM) recognises service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity more broadly and reflects impact that extends well beyond an individual institution or discipline.
At the Marine Futures Lab, we have seen firsthand how Professor Meeuwig’s leadership is shaping ocean science. She has driven the innovation and global implementation of mid-water baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS), changing how researchers around the world study ocean wildlife across large spatial scales and under diverse environmental and human pressures. Her 2024 Science publication on global body size patterns in marine ecosystems reflects more than a decade of collaborative work led through the Lab, drawing on the identification, counting and measurement of over one million individual fish.
Professor Meeuwig highlighted the broader role of universities as being among the few institutions whose core purpose is independent inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge for the public benefit.
Beyond research, Professor Meeuwig is deeply committed to ensuring science informs action and is widely respected for her evidence-based contributions to ocean policy and management, including marine protected areas and shark conservation, as well as for bringing scientific communities together to provide independent, consensus-based advice to governments on complex ocean decisions.
At its heart, this recognition reflects the collective effort of students, postdoctoral researchers, technicians, collaborators, and partners who work alongside Professor Meeuwig and contribute to the shared mission of the Marine Futures Lab.