The inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems has been awarded to Malgana man, Professor Michael Wear.

Professor Wear is the founder of Tidal Moon, Australia's first Indigenous-owned and led sea cucumber fishery and marine restoration enterprise, based in Shark Bay (Gathaagudu), Western Australia.

Under Professor Wear's leadership, Tidal Moon is partnering with scientists to restore one of the largest seagrass meadows at the UNESCO Marine World Heritage Site of Shark Bay. 

Drawing on his knowledge of Saltwater Country, culture and science, Professor Wear has developed a commercial fishery model for harvesting sea cucumbers, while also collecting conservation data through culturally directed methods.

Professor Wear, who is also a Murdoch University academic, told National Indigenous Times Tidal Moon has been working on "a model to scale up seagrass restoration by building human capital through our sea cucumber harvesting, and also the techniques of scaling that sea cucumber business as well".

"We are bringing staff onshore from our offshore operations, and creating more employment opportunities. We are bringing that western science and Indigenous knowledge together through a larger project now," he said.

Professor Wear said Tidal Moon was awarded a 13-year seagrass translocation permit last September, the longevity of which presents "an opportunity to create more jobs, get a lot more people off welfare... but also build skills into the future, so if there's heatwave you would have Indigenous divers that can mobilise quite quickly and restore the seagrass".

In recent years, scientific research has confirmed the health benefits of sea cucumbers, revealing their medicinal properties such as wound healing, neuroprotection, antitumour activity, anticoagulation, antimicrobial effects, and antioxidant capacity. These bioactive compounds offer promising opportunities for development in both the food and biomedical industries.

Professor Wear said Tidal Moon has big plans for the immediate future.

"First off, we want to scale up our restoration efforts between February and November next year, and we also want to scale up our sea cucumber industry by doing it more sustainably by not harvesting the wild stock by bringing operations on to land and doing a large scale breeding program, and keeping the wild stock in the water," he said.

"It will be a large aquaculture facility which has all of the scientists, from institutions like Murdoch, UWA, ECU, CSIRO, all based in the one area where we can do a lot of the research into hot water events, heatwaves, where we can do biomedical research on the sea cucumbers - for cancer and other treatments - and we can also have a hub where everyone can learn together on Malgana Country, where we can study there rather than go down to Perth."

Professor Wear said Tidal Moon is "at that stage where we can scale, so we are putting together a business model, which would include the universities".

"We are not too far away from it, so I am very optimistic about the next six months."

He said he felt "very humbled" to be the first ever winner of the Prime Minister's Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems.

"I think it's fantastic for Indigenous knowledge and western science coming together. I am glad I am the first, but I don't want to be the last," he said.

On Monday evening Professor Wear was presented with a new medallion and artwork, developed by artist Brian Robinson, whose lineage extends back to the Maluyligal people of Torres Strait and the Wuthathi people from Cape York Peninsula. The artwork depicts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' deep knowledge of the land, the waters, and the sky.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy congratulated Professor Wear for his achievements.

"His work in Gathaagudu is remarkable and unique," she said.

"This honour recognises the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems alongside western sciences.

"I also thank Brian Robinson for his artistry on a new medallion for the prize which reflects First Nations deep knowledge of Country."  

Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres said he was proud the Prime Minister's Prizes are now "acknowledging and elevating the extraordinary contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made and continue to make to science and our nation".

"Professor Michael Wear's work exemplifies the ongoing importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems to Indigenous peoples, communities and place," he said.

"Nominations for next year's Prime Minister's Prizes for Science are now open and I encourage you to nominate someone whose work deserves national recognition."

The other Prize recipients on the night were Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska; Dr Vikram Sharma; Dr David Khoury; Professor Yao Zheng; Dr Nikhilesh Bappoo; Mrs Paula Taylor; and Mr Matt Dodds.