By Mike Peña, UC Santa Cruz
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) announced on September 23 that UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor Dan Costa has been named an AGU Union Fellow in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to marine ecology, animal physiological ecology, and ocean conservation.
AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, annually celebrates scientists who have transformed our understanding of the universe, impacted communities, and advanced solutions for a sustainable future. Costa joins an elite group of international leaders recognized by AGU for advancing scientific discovery.
Costa’s election as a Union Fellow is one of the highest honors conferred in Earth and space sciences. Bestowed annually on a tiny fraction of AGU’s total global membership since 1962, fellowship is reserved for members who have achieved major scientific breakthroughs, paradigm shifts, or sustained transformative impact as vetted by peer committees. Fellows serve as scientific authorities invited to advise government agencies, educational institutions, and international organizations outside Earth and space science, while motivating scientific excellence and representing AGU’s highest standards of research integrity.
Costa was selected for his pioneering work in the ecophysiology, diving behavior, and foraging ecology of marine mammals and seabirds. An innovator in biotelemetry and electronic animal tagging (biologging), Costa helped transform oceanographic observation by equipping marine animals with miniature instruments that record migration paths, diving depths, and ocean conditions.
Co-founder of major international research initiatives such as Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP), Costa’s decades of field research at UC Nature’s Año Nuevo Reserve and in Antarctica, have advanced our understanding of elephant seals, sea lions, and marine ecosystems under environmental change.
Costa has devoted much of his career to University service. Formerly the director of UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of Marine Sciences, he was the longtime chair of UC Nature’s Universitywide Committee oversight body, and currently serves as faculty director of Año Nuevo Reserve.
Costa will be formally recognized during an honors ceremony at AGU’s 2026 annual meeting in December.
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