Dr. Austin Gallagher

BIOLOGIST
TV HOST
PRODUCER
ENTREPRENEUR

Dr. Austin Gallagher is an award-winning marine biologist, wildlife presenter, and social entrepreneur known for his ability to produce innovative, exciting, and impactful research and media on sharks and the ocean environment.

An active and renowned marine scientist, Austin has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles in leading scientific journals, and his work on sharks is consistently utilized and applied to policies which have protected threatened species and created marine protected areas.

As a wildlife presenter and host, Dr. Gallagher regularly appears on media productions spanning network TV, streaming, and online, and is a mainstay talent and producer for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. He has spoken at venues around the world including a TED talk, and he has appeared in countless articles including outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, Virgin, Yahoo, Vice, and many more.

His work had earned him several prestigious awards, including a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar, the Forbes 30 Under 30, and Scuba Diving Magazine’s “Sea Hero.” He is a National Geographic Explorer and Fellow of The Explorer’s Club.

Dr. Gallagher founded the non-profit research institute Beneath The Waves, a modern and dynamic NGO (non-governmental organization) where he oversees a team of researchers, creatives, and entrepreneurs working on critical ocean conservation projects worldwide. He holds adjunct professor positions at Northeastern University (USA) and University of Exeter (UK), has mentored and advised over 40 graduate students. He serves as an Editor of the scientific journal Endangered Species Research. He received his PhD from the University of Miami, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Carleton University, and he received his MSc from Northeastern University and Bachelor’s from Loyola University in Maryland.

Austin also serves on the advisory boards of multiple startups, and regularly consults with brands around sustainability and conservation. When he is not traveling, Austin spends his time in the Washington DC area with his wife and young daughter.