Rebecca Morris is a marine scientist at the National Centre for Coasts and Climate, The University of Melbourne. Working on a diversity of coastal habitats that include kelp forests, shellfish reefs and mangroves, Rebecca’s research focuses on how to restore these habitats where they have been lost. In particular, Rebecca is interested in characterising the services these restored habitats can provide, such as protecting the coast from erosion and flooding. As part of her research, Rebecca loves to show people how wonderful our marine habitats are. This usually involves giving public lectures or getting people to the coast to experience the projects. The Underwater Forest is Rebecca’s first picture book, designed to capture the youngest future marine scientists. Matt Howorth is a freelance British illustrator living in the north of England, specialising in character design for animation and children’s illustration. He graduated in 2015 with a First-Class Honours Degree in Illustration and Graphic Design. He has worked on multiple animation projects, including movies and cartoon TV shows. He first fell in love with drawing after watching ‘The Little Mermaid’ at his grandma’s house. He spent much of his childhood covering the living room floor in crayon drawings of mermaids and sea creatures. Matt’s work has a focus on colour and shape, he likes to create designs that inspire a feeling of innocence and childhood playfulness. He isn’t precious about his linework, and usually likes imperfections in his drawing as it adds a hand-drawn quality to his digital pieces. Along with drawing and creating, he likes marine biology, period dramas, and petting the neighbourhood cats. You can see his artwork on his website www.matthoworth.com and @matthoworth on Instagram.
