Allen Andrews works as a Research Associate operating the Age and Longevity Research Laboratory at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) in a position that involves Ichthyology, Chemical Oceanography, and Deep Sea Ecology. He earned a Master of Sciences in Marine Science from MLML, California State University in 1997. His thesis involved validating the life span of Pacific grenadier at over 54 years, a deep sea fish found along the west coast of the USA.

He currently performs work determining the age, growth, and longevity of marine organisms, as well as geochronological measurements, using naturally occurring and man-made radioactivity. His involvement with age determination of fishes began in 1992 with deep sea explorations off the Farallon Islands and has led to confirmation of high life-spans in numerous marine organisms, some at more than 100 years. Work with deep-sea corals began with ageing red tree coral from Alaska, which led to work on deep-sea coral from Davidson Seamount off Monterey Bay, and from Alaska and New Zealand.

He is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in South Africa by working on age validation of Patagonian toothfish (commonly known as the Chilean sea bass) and orange roughy.

Other works in progress involve bomb radiocarbon dating of red and white abalone and lead-radium dating of opakapaka (Hawaiian snapper) and golden tilefish from off Florida. In addition, a feasibility study on the application of lead-210 dating to deep-sea shark spines.