Captain Don Walsh

CAPTAIN DON WALSH FOR OCEAN EXPLORATION

Conferred collaboratively by MTS and the Society for Underwater Technology, this accolade acknowledges exceptional and ongoing international contributions to the development, application, and dissemination of marine technology for the progress of ocean exploration.

2025 RECIPIENT - Oliver Steeds

Oliver made his name as a respected international investigative and broadcast journalist before his fascination for exploration and stewardship of the global ocean became his driving passion. Although not a scientist or technologist by training, he has played an instrumental role in connecting ocean scientific and technological advances to raising awareness of the importance of the ocean and ocean health, delivering compelling story telling about critical ocean issues to policy makers, the general public, and most importantly, to young people.

This has involved the adoption of novel technological approaches to the capture and live transmission of video from submersibles in the deep sea – including news casts, documentaries a Presidential address and live lessons from some of the most remote locations on the planet. His organisational and communications skills have brought together over 100 partners from across the science, technology, policy and educational communities to advance the critical need to protect the critical ecosystem services that the ocean provides.

He has trained as a submersible pilot with Triton Submarines and, as the serving Director of The Ocean Census, is active in supporting the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, with a particular interest in supporting the science needs of small island developing states.