Our Mission

To advance the conservation of sharks and all ocean life through cutting-edge research, education, and community engagement that empowers people to protect our blue planet.

What We Do

Research
Goliath Grouper
Great White Sharks
Keys Shark Contaminants
Keys Shark Populations
Past Research
Education
Explorer Series
Free Online Courses
Plastic Pollution Monitoring
Free School Programs
Shark Field Course
Where We Work
Colorado
Florida Keys Lab
Florida Atlantic University

Dr. Ari Friedlaender

Email Me: arsfried@ucsc.edu

Ari is a Professor in the Ocean Sciences Department at UC Santa Cruz and Director of Research for the California Ocean Alliance. Ari’s research focuses on developing new technology to study the underwater behavior of marine animals and the impacts of human activities. Ari has been studying the impacts of climate change on whales in the Antarctic for over 20 years and the impacts of anthropogenic sound disturbance on marine mammals in California for over 12 years. Along with this research, Ari is dedicated to developing new ways of sharing information by working across disciplines to promote marine conservation and generate opportunities for students from underserved and underrepresented groups.

A native of Connecticut, Ari received a Master’s in Marine Biology from UNC Wilmington and PhD in Ecology from Duke University. Ari is a US delegate to the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee, a member of the NMFS Scientific Review Group, a National Geographic Explorer, and WWF Ambassador.