First Nations people of Australia remain underrepresented in marine research and ocean observing, despite the central role of Sea Country in culture, livelihoods, and exposure to climate change impacts. Encouragingly, increasing engagement in marine science is seen with First Nations communities, particularly through collaborative data collection with Sea Country Rangers. The FishSOOP program demonstrates the collection of research-quality oceanographic data in collaboration with First Nations communities in Australia and highlights the power of collaborative ocean science. While these data conform to FAIR principles and internationally standardised conventions, existing ocean metadata frameworks fail to adequately recognise First Nations custodianship in line with CARE principles. Our study shows that subsurface temperature observations from culturally significant and under-monitored regions can improve regional ocean understanding, providing valuable data for model validation. To move beyond human-readable acknowledgements, we included optional global attributes within IMOS NetCDF conventions to embed First Nations custodianship and contribution directly within metadata structures used for ocean observing, modelling, and forecasting. Embedding machine-readable recognition of First Nations contributions aligns with CARE principles, supports self-determination, and provides a scalable reform with practical benefits for Indigenous Protected Area proposals and funding pathways. Systematically identifiable recognition is a necessary step towards equitable ocean science.