Tanner Waters

Dr. Tanner Waters (he/him) is a marine biologist and science policy advisor dedicated to advancing California’s ocean and coastal conservation through evidence-based decision making. In his role at the California Ocean Science Trust (OST), Tanner works to connect marine research with state management and policy efforts. Before joining OST, Tanner was a NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellow working on the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries and a biodiversity policy consultant for the Endangered Species Coalition.

In 2023, Tanner earned his Ph.D. from UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. His dissertation focused on using environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess the effectiveness of coastal restoration and conservation efforts within Southern California. Tanner was also a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellow, Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center Fellow, and Center for Diverse Leadership in Science fellow. 

Tanner holds a B.S. in Environmental Science, A.B. in Earth and Ocean Science, and minor in Biology from Duke University.