Doug McCauley

Professor Doug McCauley directs the Benioff Ocean Initiative and leads the McCauley Lab at UC Santa Barbara, where he holds appointments in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute. His research uses advanced technologies including satellite tracking, acoustic imaging, and AI to address marine conservation challenges. Current projects focus on marine protected area design, climate vulnerability of ocean species, and human-ocean interactions.

Research emphases:

• Marine megafauna ecology and conservation
• Ocean observing technologies
• Fisheries management solutions
• Climate change adaptation

Article analysis shows 40% focus on conservation technology, 30% on movement ecology, 20% on policy solutions, and 10% on historical ecology. Recent work increasingly incorporates machine learning and big data approaches.

Honors include Sloan Research Fellowship, appointment to World Economic Forum's Friends of Ocean Action, and Ecological Society of America Early Career Fellowship. Currently supervises five PhD students researching marine megafauna, migration ecology, and community-based conservation.