Bio Craig McLean

Craig McLean is a retired ship captain from NOAA who served in multiple program roles including ocean exploration, ocean mapping, marine fisheries, marine sanctuaries, and law.  After retirement from the service, he was appointed as deputy, then director of NOAA’s research line, in charge of climate, ocean, and weather research. He served for eleven years as the US head of delegation to the UN’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, five years as NOAA’s acting Chief Scientist, and was the US lead for the Galway Statement implementation of the North Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, and the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance. He retired from government service in 2022. He was recognized by President Biden at his retirement for his work in supporting scientific truth and integrity.