Kate Lock, (from Marloes, Pembrokeshire) is the winner of the 2021 NBN Award for Wildlife Recording – Marine.

The UK-wide NBN Wildlife Recording Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions adults and young people are making to wildlife recording and data sharing, which is helping to improve our understanding of the UK’s biodiversity.

Kate has been working to coordinate Seasearch activities for 25 years – generating her own records as well as supporting less-experienced coordinators and volunteers.

Kate’s immense knowledge and experience of Pembrokeshire makes her the go-to person to liaise with other organisations, stakeholders and policy-makers in that area.

Being an employee of Natural Resources Wales in her professional capacity puts Kate in the unique position of ‘having a foot in both camps’ to maximise the impact of Seasearch through her job and her network of relationships. She is trusted for that blend of longevity in post and expertise.

Kate Lock, winner of the 2021 NBN Award for Wildlife Recording – Marine, says:

“I learnt to dive at University in Plymouth in the mid ‘80s and feel privileged to be able to see first-hand the amazing marine life found in UK waters. I have always wanted to know more about what I am seeing and put a name to the seaweeds and creatures that I find, so when introduced to Seasearch it was the perfect project to get involved.

“Diving in the UK can often be challenging but that is also part of the fun and attraction as you never know what you may find, it could be muddy sediments with fabulous burrowing anemones or rocks festooned in sponges and sea squirts or lush red seaweed meadows – no two dives will be the same.

“Being able to teach divers to complete surveys is fun, being able to build up a community of underwater recorders where everyone is so excited to share their photos and records, knowing that these records are letting us get to know our underwater world better, dive by dive, is fantastic.”

The winners and runners-up of the UK-wide NBN Awards for Wildlife Recording 2021 were announced at an online ceremony on Wednesday 24 November 2021, the culmination of the annual NBN Conference.