Ayana Elizabeth Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ayana Johnson
Born	1980/1981 (age 44–45)
Education	Harvard University (BA) University of California, San Diego (MS, PhD)
Organization	Urban Ocean Lab
Known for	Marine biology Marine conservation Climate communication Climate policy
Board member of	Patagonia Greenwave
Awards	Time100 NEXT 2021
Scientific career
Thesis	Fish, Fishing, Diving and the Management of Coral Reefs (2011)
Doctoral advisor	Jeremy Jackson

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (born 1980/1981) is a marine biologist. She is also an expert in climate policy and conservation.

She is the co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab. This is a group that studies how oceans and climate affect cities. She also teaches at Bowdoin College. Ayana Johnson wrote the book What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures (2024).

Before this, she taught at New York University. She also worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) too.

Early Life and Education

Ayana Johnson grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her mom was a teacher and farmer. Her dad was an architect and potter.

In high school, she joined the Student Conservation Association. She helped work on the Continental Divide Trail. This trail is in the San Juan Mountains.

In 2002, she earned a bachelor's degree. She studied environmental science at Harvard University. In 2011, she earned her PhD in marine biology. She got this degree from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. This is part of the University of California, San Diego.

Her PhD research was about coral reefs. She studied how to manage them in a sustainable way. She looked at fish, fishing, and diving. Her paper was called Fish, Fishing, Diving and the Management of Coral Reefs.

Ayana Johnson also invented a special fish trap. This trap helps reduce bycatch. Bycatch means catching fish or animals you don't mean to. Her invention won an award in 2012.

Career and Work

Ayana Johnson cares about keeping our oceans healthy. She focuses on ocean life in cities. She also works on sustainable fishing and climate change. She believes in social justice for everyone.

Before her PhD, she worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. After her PhD, she worked for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Then she joined the Waitt Institute. There, she helped fund projects to protect the ocean.

In 2013, she became the leader of the Waitt Institute. She also helped start the Blue Halo Initiative. This project worked with islands like Barbuda and Curaçao. They helped these islands create better plans for using and protecting their oceans. Ayana Johnson led the first successful ocean zoning project in the Caribbean. This helped Barbuda protect its coastal waters.

Today, Ayana Johnson advises on ocean and climate issues. She leads Urban Ocean Lab, which she co-founded. This group works on ocean policy. She also used to lead Ocean Collectiv. This company helped find ways to protect the ocean fairly.

In 2017, she helped organize the first March for Science. This was a big event to support science.

In 2020, Ayana Johnson started a podcast called "How to Save a Planet." She also published her first book. It's called All We Can Save. This book shares writings from women who are climate leaders.

In 2021, she asked a company called Edelman to stop working with fossil fuel companies. She used social media to spread the message.

Since 2023, she has been a special scholar at Bowdoin College. Her new book, What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures, is coming out soon. It talks about positive ideas for our climate future.

Awards and Recognition

Ayana Johnson has received many honors. In 2016, she was a TED resident. She was also named a "40 Under 40" outstanding alumni by University of California, San Diego.

She is on the board of directors for several groups. These include Patagonia and Greenwave. She also advises Scientific American magazine.

Ayana Johnson has given two TED talks. One was about using the ocean wisely. The other was about saving coral reefs. In 2017, she spoke at the Smithsonian Institution's "Earth Optimism" conference.

In 2021, she was named a Time100 Next leader. In 2022, she joined the US Secretary of State's Foreign Affairs Policy Board.

Media Coverage

Ayana Johnson's work has been featured in many places. These include The New York Times and Nature journal. Her work is also in Scientific American and The Atlantic.

She writes about climate change and ocean protection. Her articles have been in The New York Times and The Washington Post. She has also written for Time and Scientific American. She has contributed to National Geographic Society and HuffPost blogs.

See Also

In Spanish: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson para niños