The award recognizes his academic achievements in the field of coral reef research over the past ten years, including his numerous publications in particular. The prize is aimed at mid-career researchers who completed their PhD no more than twenty years ago and is awarded once a year to an individual. The Mid-Career Scientist Award is linked to honorary lifetime ICRS membership and a lecture at the next International Coral Reef Symposium in 2026 in Auckland, New Zealand.

The ICRS is the global society dedicated to coral reef issues. Its members include researchers, reef managers, and students from all continents and more than 65 countries.

Christian Wild has been a professor at the University of Bremen since 2010 and is head of the Department of Marine Ecology in the Faculty of Biology / Chemistry. Together with his colleagues, he researches the responses of coastal marine ecosystems such as coral reefs and seagrass beds to environmental changes. Wild and his team at the University of Bremen organized the 14th and 15th International Coral Reef Symposia in 2021 and 2022. Together, the two events were attended by circa 3,000 participants from around 100 countries.