OET Announces Dr. Daniel Wagner as Chief Scientist
On March 14, Ocean Exploration Trust will welcome Dr. Daniel Wagner as our new Chief Scientist. As OET’s Chief Scientist, Daniel will liaise with the ocean science community to broadly share exploration results and open data to meet current research, management, and conservation needs in ocean science; develop programs that promote inclusivity and scientific integrity in the field; and work with OET’s partners to advance the field of ocean exploration through the Nautilus Exploration Program and the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Daniel to the Ocean Exploration Trust team as our new Chief Scientist. The breadth of Daniel’s experience and academic achievements in ocean exploration, experience in growing and nurturing partnerships, and his dedication to fostering opportunities for the next generation are right in line with the mission and strategic direction of Ocean Exploration Trust. We look forward to welcoming him to the team as a liaison to and representative of the broader ocean science community,” said Allison Fundis, Ocean Exploration Trust’s Chief Operating Officer.
Prior to joining the Ocean Exploration Trust, Daniel served as Ocean Science Advisor for Conservation International, where he led multi-partner research initiatives aimed at advancing large-scale marine conservation with a focus on areas beyond national jurisdiction. His career has also included coordinating NOAA-led efforts aimed at collecting scientific information to support the management of deep-sea ecosystems in the U.S. Atlantic, which included work for the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, and the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
Daniel has also worked for the NOAA’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, where he coordinated scientific studies in support of resource management for the Monument. These included participation in over a dozen research expeditions to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, information from which was used to underpin the expansion of the Monument and make it the largest marine protected area on Earth in 2016. Daniel served as the scientific advisor to the U.S. White House Council of Environmental Quality on the Monument expansion.
Daniel has conducted fieldwork on deep-sea ecosystems since 2006 and has since participated in 27 multi-disciplinary research expeditions that explored deep-sea habitats throughout the Indo-Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. Daniel grew up in Ecuador, where at a young age he interned at the Galapagos National Park, an experience during which he developed a deep fascination for nature and the ocean. Daniel holds Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Oceanography from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hawaiʻi Pacific University.
