Doug DeMaster

Doug DeMaster is a wildlife biologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (1978). He has been active in marine research in the Arctic since 1975. Doug has worked as a professional in the field of marine stewardship and science for over 40 years. He has directed applied research projects on marine mammals including polar bears, Arctic and Antarctic seals, sea otters, beluga whales, walrus, harbor seals, eastern North Pacific gray whales, and California sea lions.

Doug has published 87 peer-reviewed articles, numerous Technical Reports, and other management-related documents (e.g., Biological Opinions, Environmental Impact Statements, Environmental Assessments, etc.). He was instrumental in the development of the regime currently used in the US (and other countries) to govern marine mammal – fishery interactions in the 1990s. This regime is referred to as the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level protocol.

Prior to retiring in 2018, Doug was the Science and Research Director for the Alaska Region, NOAA Fisheries for 17 years. As such he directed many marine research projects for NOAA Fisheries, and was supervised over 400 scientists and with an annual budget of over $75 million. During his tenure at the Alaska Fishery Science Center, he directed groundfish and shellfish stock assessments in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, marine mammal stock assessments in Alaska, operations of the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program, the evaluation of the impacts of climate change in Alaska on marine resources, and the co-management of subsistence hunting of Arctic marine mammals. Doug also served as the Deputy Science Director, US Marine Mammal Commission; the US Deputy Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission; the Chair of the Scientific Committee for the International Whaling Commission and the President of the Society for Marine Mammalogy. He also chaired the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Team and served on the Southwestern Alaska Sea Otter and Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Teams.