Dr. Austin Gallagher is a marine scientist working at the intersection of threatened species conservation and protected areas. He is a world-authority on sharks. He is the CEO and Chief Scientist of the NGO Beneath the Waves, and a National Geographic Explorer, and holds academic positions at universities in North America and the United Kingdom.
Conservation Profile
He has published over 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and his work on shark vulnerability to fisheries has been applied to ocean management and policy globally. He has also assisted with the creation of global protective measures (marine protected areas, CITES listings) for numerous species of sharks and regions worldwide. Dr. Gallagher’s work also demonstrated that sharks can be worth more alive than dead, which remains a highly referenced argument for contemporary marine megafauna conservation.
Global Activation
Dr. Gallagher has spoken at TED, the Royal Geographical Society (Hong Kong), MIT, Smithsonian, Summit, WeWork, and in front of audiences at universities and businesses around the world. His work has received global media coverage from The New York Times, Forbes, Virgin, Yahoo, Cheddar, and Vice. He has appeared on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week and National Geographic Wild, and regularly consults for natural history film and TV productions.
Scientific Training and Entrepreneurship
He received his PhD from the University of Miami, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Carleton University, and he received his MSc from Northeastern University. He is a National Geographic Explorer, a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club, and is a former Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree. Dr. Gallagher serves on the Editorial Board of the scientific journal Endangered Species Research, is on the Advisory Board of The Ocean Experience Project, and in 2017 he co-founded Tempo, a functional beverage company which was sold into Whole Foods.