James Angus Watson IV[1] (born 1956) is a retired United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral.

[4] He first graduated with honors from Mount Saint Joe in 1974 followed by the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering.

He received Master of Science degrees in 1985 in Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture from the University of Michigan.

He received a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

[2] Watson retired in June 2012 to become Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the United States Department of the Interior.