Special Commendation

FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY PUBLICATION PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF MARINE CONSERVATION

Dr Patricia Hutchings

Pat Hutchings is a Senior Fellow of the Australian Museum Research Institute in Sydney. Her research focuses on the systematics, phylogeny and ecology of polychaetes and the role they play in marine ecosystems. Dr Hutchings has published extensively on the Australian polychaete fauna using both morphology and molecular techniques. This has included studying marine invasive species. Pat has also undertaken experimental studies on the bioerosion of coral substrates and how rates of erosion are changing with climate change.

Pat Hutchings joined the Australian Museum in 1970 as the Assistant Curator of the Marine Invertebrates department. She became the Museum's first Senior Principal Research Scientist in 2009. Her scientific research has been recognised with the award of a Doctorate of Science (University of Newcastle upon Tyne UK), as a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW (President 2000-2003, 2006-2007, 2018-2024) and in 2010 the Australian Marine Scientists Association presented Pat with a Jubilee Award for outstanding contributions to marine research in Australia. In 2024 Pat was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to marine science, and to environmental conservation.

Pat has been publishing for over 50 years and has about 350 peer-reviewed scientific articles in local, national and top international journals. She has also had major impact on marine conservation with 10 overview works on mangroves and coral reefs, especially in the Australian and broader Pacific region. Pat has made a significant contribution to the publications by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW as editor and author of at least 10 major works and is a strong supporter of the annual Whitley Awards for zoological publications

Commendations

	Whitley Medal Mammals of the South-west Pacific by Tyrone Lavery and Tim Flannery CSIRO Publishing
	Children's Conservation Awareness Seed to Sky by Pamela Freeman and Liz Anelli (Illustrator) Walker Books Australia
	Children's Investigative Zoology Sensational Australian Animals by Stephanie Owen Reeder and Cher Hart (Illustrator) CSIRO Publishing
	Children’s Book The Black Cockatoo With One Feather Blue by Jodie McLeod and Eloise Short (Illustrator) Wollemi Press
	Children’s Natural History & Noel Tait Award Mango: Sharks and Rays of Aotearoa by Ned Barraud Te Papa Press
	Illustrated Zoology and Biodiversity Resource Six-legged Ghosts: The insects of Aotearoa by Lily Duval Canterbury University Press
	Regional Field Guide Wildlife of Victoria's South-West by Grant Palmer and Jules Farquhar CSIRO Publishing
	Natural History Tasmanian Mayflies: Identification, Ecology, Behaviour and Imitation by Ron Thresher CSIRO Publishing
	Field Guide Field Guide to the Reptiles of the Northern Territory by Chris Jolly, Brendan Schembri and Stewart Macdonald CSIRO Publishing
	Highly Commended Australian Jewel Beetles: An Introduction to the Buprestidae by Geoff Williams, Kevin Mitchell and Allen M. Sundholm CSIRO Publishing