The UC Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute is proud to share that one of its most influential affiliated scientists, Alice L. Alldredge, has been elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences as part of the Academy’s 2026 class. This honor recognizes her decades of groundbreaking contributions to oceanography and marine ecology. She will be formally inducted at the Academy’s annual induction ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where new members are welcomed into the organization and celebrated for their achievements.
Dr. Alldredge joins fellow University of California, Santa Barbara faculty members — astrophysicist Lars Bildsten and engineer Henry T. Yang — among 252 newly elected leaders spanning academia, science, public policy and the arts. Founded in 1780, the Academy has long honored individuals whose work advances knowledge and serves society, counting George Washington among its earliest members.
A professor emeritus of ecology, evolution and marine biology, Dr. Alldredge has built a legacy defined by curiosity, precision and discovery. Her pioneering research into “marine snow” — the continuous shower of organic material sinking through ocean waters — has reshaped scientific understanding of ocean ecosystems. Among her most influential contributions is the discovery of Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP), a key component in oceanic carbon cycling that plays a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate.
Her work has also illuminated the behavior and ecological importance of zooplankton, including the identification of demersal zooplankton and their role in marine food webs. As a lead investigator in the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research program in French Polynesia, she deepened global understanding of coral reef ecosystems and their delicate balance.
Dr. Alldredge’s achievements have earned her widespread recognition. She is a fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union, and has received major honors including the Henry Bryant Bigelow Medal from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.
Her election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences underscores not only her scientific impact but also her enduring influence on generations of researchers and students who continue to explore the mysteries of the ocean.
Please join us to congratulate Dr. Alice L. Alldredge on this remarkable achievement.
Read the story by Shelly Leachman in UC Santa Barbara’s The Current: “Three UCSB professors elected as members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences