Oliver Steeds OBE, Chief Executive of Nekton has been announced by the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) as the 2025 winner of the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration.
The Award is made: “In honour of your outstanding, sustained, international contribution to the development, application and propagation of marine technology toward the advancement of ocean exploration”. The presentation of the Award will take place on the opening day of Oceanology International London (Oi) 10-12 March 2026 at London Excel.
Justin Manley, MTS Immediate Past President said: “Oliver Steeds exemplifies Captain Don Walsh’s spirit of exploration through his pioneering leadership and unique ability to unite science, technology, and storytelling. His work with Nekton and Ocean Census is expanding our understanding of the ocean while elevating its vital role in our world. By bridging discovery, innovation, and education, Oliver is helping to shape the next generation of ocean stewards. MTS is proud to honor his profound impact on the future of ocean exploration.”
Benj Sykes, President of the SUT, and Chair of the selection panel, explained: “The judging panel agreed that Oliver’s ongoing work with Nekton, Ocean Census and Encounter.EDU is completely aligned with Don Walsh’s vision for the future of ocean exploration and its importance in raising awareness of critical ocean issues, contributing to addressing the solution of crucial scientific, technological, societal and environmental challenges. His close links to Don Walsh make it even more fitting that he receives this year’s Award. SUT wishes him well for all that lies ahead.”
Oliver was awarded OBE in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for services “to Research and Conservation of the Marine Environment”. On hearing the news of the Don Walsh Award, he said: “I am immensely proud of what we at Nekton have achieved to be considered for this recognition. The Award brings wind in our sails as we continue our mission to explore and protect the ocean. Don Walsh has long been my North Star – his guidance helped shape the creation of Nekton, from our name to our DNA. It is profoundly humbling to receive an award that bears his name, and we remain committed to following his spirit, always swimming against the current.”
Background to Oliver Steeds’ activities
Nekton is an ocean institute, a UK registered charity dedicated to advancing the scientific exploration of the ocean through expeditions, story-telling, knowledge exchange and education. It is a founding partner of The Ocean Census (a UN Ocean Decade programme also co-founded by The Nippon Foundation and supported by MTS’s MoU partner Seabed 2030). The Ocean Census mission is to accelerate the discovery of ocean life – aiming to utilise cutting-edge technologies including DNA sequencing, high-resolution digital imaging, and machine learning to fulfil an ambitious goal of transforming our knowledge of ocean life over the next decade.
Oliver is also co-founder of Encounter.EDU (see https://encounteredu.com/) which brings the frontlines of our changing world to the classroom. Nekton works with Encounter.EDU to deliver a submarine STEM programme, inspiring young people to learn about subsea engineering and the wonder of, and threats to, the ocean.
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.
Caption: Oliver Steeds, winner of the 2025 Captain Don Walsh Ocean Exploration Award