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Cara Field

Cara Field, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACZM

Medical Director

Embracing the mixture of aquatic animal health, scientific discovery and sharing what we learn with the global community fuels my hope that, together, we can make positive changes for ocean and human health.

Dr. Cara Field can trace her long history at The Marine Mammal Center back to when she served as an animal care volunteer while attending graduate and veterinary school. Dr. Field rejoined the Center in 2014 and served as the primary Clinical Veterinarian for nine and a half years, during which time she oversaw the care and health of the Center’s marine mammal patients, collaborated on numerous research projects and directed our Teaching Hospital program. In 2024, Dr. Field transitioned into her new role as Director of Conservation Medicine, where she leads internal and collaborative conservation medicine research.

Dr. Field is a certified Diplomate in the American College of Zoological Medicine, and one of only 35 Diplomates with the specialty of aquatic animal medicine. Additionally, in 2024, she was elected president of the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine. Dr. Field currently serves as an advisor for multiple aquatic animal conservation working groups.

Each year, Dr. Field mentors graduate students, residents and other professionals who come to the Center to study marine mammal conservation medicine with special emphasis on the effects of anthropogenic factors and both infectious and non-infectious diseases on marine mammal and ecosystem health. 

Dr. Field completed the dual DVM/PhD degree program at UC Davis in 2005, where she studied the effects of high pressure on blood platelets from elephant seals, the world’s deepest diving seal. She then worked at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut for three years as a post-doctoral researcher studying marine mammal brucellosis and was subsequently the Intern Veterinarian there.

Dr. Field’s past work history also includes working in New Orleans as Associate Veterinarian at the Audubon Nature Institute, including caring for hundreds of oiled marine animals during the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and working as the Senior Associate Veterinarian at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, one of the largest aquariums in the world. She moved back to California to work at The Marine Mammal Center in 2014 and travels extensively to different parts of the world to teach aquatic animal health and conservation medicine.


Areas of Expertise

  • Veterinary Medicine 
  • Aquatic Animal Health
  • Global Impact of Marine Mammal Diseases, including Biotoxins and Cancer 
  • Effects of Climate Change on Ocean Health 
  • Marine Mammal Physiology



Talk to Our Experts

Our experts are available to comment on a variety of marine mammal and ocean health issues. Please contact our PR team at media@tmmc.org to schedule an interview. 

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Marine Science Careers

Ever wondered how to become a marine mammal veterinarian? Learn what it takes and find out how Dr. Cara Field uses her role as a teacher to help protect our ocean for future generations.

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Recent Publications