Ana Sequeira named Australia’s National Champion for the Frontiers Planet Prize

We are proud to share that our lab leader, Associate Professor Ana Sequeira, has been named Australia’s National Champion in the Frontiers Planet Prize, one of the world’s leading global science competitions focused on advancing solutions for planetary health. Announced today (Earth Day), this recognition places Ana among a select group of scientists whose research is driving scalable, evidence‑based pathways to keep humanity within Earth’s safe planetary boundaries.

Ana’s recognition honours her leadership of the recent landmark Science paper that brings together the world’s largest global tracking dataset of marine megafauna - spanning more than three decades, over 12,000 animals, and more than 100 species, with contributions from nearly 400 researchers worldwide, assembled through the MegaMove project. The study reveals how whales, sharks, turtles, seabirds and other highly mobile species use the ocean, identifying shared migratory corridors and key residency areas where protection and management can be most effective.

The Frontiers Planet Prize recognises breakthrough scientific research that advances understanding of Earth systems and also delivers actionable solutions with the potential to shape policy, industry practice and global cooperation. National Champions are selected by an independent Jury of 100 planetary health experts, chaired by Professor Johan Rockström, and advance to the final round for selection of three International Champions later this year.

Being named Australia’s National Champion underscores the global impact and policy relevance of the Sequeira Lab’s work, and its contribution to international efforts to safeguard one of Earth’s most vital life‑support systems: the ocean.

Congratulations to Ana on this great achievement! And we wish her luck with the next phase of the Frontiers Planet Prize process!