UNT's Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program in Chile received a 2019 Ocean Award from Boat International, a publisher of materials for boating enthusiasts.

UNT was recognized for the creation of the Diego Ramirez-Drake Passage Marine Park, established in January 2018 at the southern end of the continental shelf of the South American continent.

The park is the 25th marine protected area in Chile and the seventh in Patagonia. It's the largest such park in South America, extending more than 144,390 square kilometers, and includes the marine habitats of the Diego Ramirez Archipelago.