Michael J. Buckingham is a professor of ocean acoustics in the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.

Buckingham’s research focuses on ocean acoustic propagation, ambient noise in the marine environment, and acoustic imaging. His experiments involve the identification of objects in the ocean using naturally occurring sounds, produced as a result of bubbles forming near the surface. This system, described as “acoustic daylight” uses an experimental electronic imaging system that reveals objects in the ocean by listening to ambient underwater noise and displaying the objects as a simple video image.

Born in Oxford, England, he received a BSc with honors and a PhD, both in physics from the University of Reading, England.

Buckingham joined Scripps as a professor of oceanography. He is also a visiting professor at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, England.

He is a fellow of the Institute of Acoustics and the Institution of Electrical Engineers, both in the UK, and a member of Sigma Xi. He is also a member of the Acoustical Society of America and is past chairman of its Acoustical Oceanography Technical Committee. His awards include the Clerk Maxwell Premium from the Institute for Environmental Research and Education, and the A. B. Wood Medal from the Institute of Acoustics. He is the author of more than 120 scientific papers.

Last updated May 2004