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Graduate Studies Division
Ocean Sciences Department
PhD Candidate
Ocean Sciences
Graduate
Coastal Science & Policy Program
Earth & Marine Sciences
A350
Long Marine Lab
Lauren Fritz is a Ph.D. candidate in Ocean Sciences at UC Santa Cruz studying the behavioral ecology and conservation of large whales. Her research focuses on humpback whales along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, where she uses biologging tags, drones, and field-based behavioral observations to investigate how whales allocate their time and energy in a rapidly changing environment. Her dissertation examines how natural environmental variability and increasing human activity, particularly vessel traffic and Antarctic tourism, influence whale behavior and explores how ecological research can inform effective marine conservation and management. She is also pursuing a Designated Emphasis in Coastal Science & Policy, with interests in connecting marine science to policy and translating research into practical conservation solutions.
Marine mammal behavioral ecology, biologging, bioenergetics, and conservation science, with particular expertise in humpback whale ecology in the Antarctic. Research interests include animal activity budgets, foraging and resting behavior, behavioral responses to vessel disturbance, drone-based behavioral observation, and the effects of environmental variability and human activity on marine predators. Additional expertise includes marine spatial analysis, Antarctic tourism and vessel management, science-policy integration, and translating ecological research into applied conservation strategies.
My research interests center on marine mammal behavioral ecology and conservation, particularly how large whales balance energetic demands in dynamic and increasingly human-impacted environments. I am interested in animal bioenergetics, foraging and resting behavior, predator–prey interactions, behavioral responses to vessels and other anthropogenic disturbance, and the effects of climate and environmental change on marine predators. I am also interested in applying biologging, drone-based methods, and spatial ecology to conservation and connecting ecological research with marine policy and management.
Marine biology; marine mammal ecology and conservation; behavioral ecology; ocean sciences; field and quantitative methods; biologging and drone-based research; marine conservation and policy; and scientific communication. I am particularly interested in inclusive, student-centered STEM teaching that accommodates diverse learning styles, supports neurodivergent and nontraditional students, and helps students develop confidence in scientific thinking, data analysis, and research.
- Panetta Institute Congressional Internship/Fellows Program, UC Santa Cruz — 2026
- Central Coast Impact Scholarship — 2026
- Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship — 2026
- American Cetacean Society – Los Angeles Chapter Research Grant — 2026
- Keeley Coastal Scholarship, UC Santa Cruz — 2023
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