Fish Ecologist

The National Geographic Society invests in a diverse, global community of National Geographic Explorers who are leading a new age of exploration in support of our mission: to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world through science, exploration, education, and storytelling. These bold individuals represent more than 140 countries, and their vast array of backgrounds, perspectives, and fields bring us to the far reaches of the globe.

Within NGS, the Science & Innovation team is a department that oversees the Society’s grantmaking efforts in science, conservation and technology, develops and manages major mission programs, and establishes programmatic partnerships with like-minded non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Over the last fifteen years, Pristine Seas, National Geographic’s flagship ocean conservation program has helped to inspire the protection of 29 of the last wild places in the ocean, encompassing more than 6.7 million square kilometers of ocean. Additionally, we aim to cultivate and expand a network of best-in-class partners to build a community of support for protected areas. We are seeking a Fish Ecologist, Research, Pristine Seas to support and scale our approach over the next five years

The Fish Ecologist for Pristine Seas conducts high-impact scientific research in furtherance of the Pristine Seas’ mission. The candidate will conduct coral reef research on expeditions, support the production of high-quality scientific reports and publications, and provide input to inform decision-makers regarding the necessity of protecting the last wild places in the ocean

The Fish Ecologist reports to the VP of Research and will be part of a cohesive, collaborative, and high-performing research team. The research team is comprised of experts from a wide variety of marine disciplines; we value adaptability, curiosity and scientific rigor and value team members that enjoy collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team and are thoughtful and respectful of other cultures and partners with whom we work. They will contribute to the Pristine Seas research program by facilitating research planning for Pristine Seas expeditions, participating in field research expeditions, analyzing scientific data, and contributing to the writing of reports and peer-reviewed publications.

This is a fixed-term role through December 2030.

Your Impact 

Marine Expeditions (40%)

Data Analysis and Reporting (40%)

Policy activities (10%)



Programmatic Activities (10%)

What You’ll Bring

Educational Background