Today I’m celebrating the release of my 27th book, which came out on 1 July and it’s just as exciting as when my first book came out in 2008.

Being an author is the best job ever. I love every part of it … the research, the writing, and of course, meeting and hearing from readers.

I first chatted to my lovely publisher at Wild Dingo Press about writing this book two years ago. That might seem like a long time to write a book, but I had to interview the amazing Professor Emma Johnston (that’s who this book’s about) a few times and do a lot of research about things like what it would be like to be a marine biologist diving under the ice in Antarctica or on The Great Barrier Reef.

I also had to imagine what it must have been like for Emma growing up in a Melbourne seaside town, exploring the waters there and sailing with her family.

And I had to find out about all the amazing things that Emma has done to help the marine environment in different parts of the world, and why she’s a global leader in her field.

Here’s what my publisher says about the book:

About Emma Johnston: Marine biologist and TV presenter
Emma Johnston AO FTSE FRSN is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney, and President of Science & Technology Australia. She is an authority in marine ecology and a former Pro-Vice Chancellor at UNSW.

Johnston’s research group at UNSW investigates the ecology of human impacts in marine systems, combining the diverse disciplines of ecology, microbiology and ecotoxicology to expand fundamental understanding and provide recommendations for management. Her research is conducted in such diverse field environments as Sydney Harbour, Antarctica, the Great Barrier Reef and temperate Australian estuaries.

She is a regular media commentator and, as co-presenter of the Foxtel/BBC television series Coast Australia, which has helped take Australian marine science to an international audience. She also launched a Sydney Harbour cruise called Underwater Secrets’ – Sydney Harbour Revealed, which focuses on scientific research into the waterway.

SO MANY AUSSIE STEM STARS TO DISCOVER
Here are all the other amazing books in the Aussie STEM Stars series for readers who love science, inventing, and discovering and being inspired by amazing people, and learning about the world around them.

TODAY’S WRITING PROMPT
If you were in Antarctica, what’s the animal you’d most like to see/meet? Write a story about that encounter.