Ari Friedlaender is a Professor in the Ocean Sciences Department and the Faculty Fellow for the Institute for Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz.  Ari’s research focuses on using new technology to understand the underwater behavior and ecology of marine mammals and how they are affected by human activity.  Recently, Ari’s work in California has documented the behavioral response of several whale and dolphin species to Navy sonar, how anthropogenic pollutants and contaminants are manifesting in different marine mammal species, and how the migratory movements of baleen whales overlaps with both National Marine Sanctuaries as well as human industry including commercial shipping and fishing. Ari has published nearly 200 scientific papers, is a National Geographic Explorer, WWF Antarctic Embassador, a delegate to the International Whaling Commission, Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research, and serves on the Conservation Committee for the Society of Marine Mammalogy, and is Director of Research for the California Ocean Alliance.