Marine Biologist & Conservation Strategist; Co-Founder of Urban Ocean Lab
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: Biography at a Glance
- Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native. She is a founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for coastal cities.
- She is also the co-creator of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, on climate solutions.
- Her upcoming book, What If We Get It Right? maps out how to build a more sustainable and equitable world, guiding us through solutions from visionary farmers and financiers to architects and advocates.
- She co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save and co-founded The All We Can Save Project.
- Recently, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy.
- Previously, she was executive director of the Waitt Institute, developed policy at the EPA and NOAA, served as a leader of the March for Science, and taught as an adjunct professor at New York University.
- Dr. Johnson earned a BA from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy, and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine biology. She publishes widely, including in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Scientific American.
Media
Official Site: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D.Book: What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate FuturesTIME: "TIME100 Next: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson"TIME: "We Can't Solve the Climate Crisis Unless Black Lives Matter"TED Talk: "A Love Story for the Coral Reef Crisis"Hollywood Reporter: "Gimlet Media to Launch Climate Change Podcast with Alex Blu...The NY Times: "Why Saving the Oceans Is as Vital as Protecting Rain Forests"Sierra: "What I Know About the Ocean We Need Ocean Justice"Scientific American: "To Save the Climate, Look to the Oceans"
Videos
Biography
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native. She is a founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for coastal cities, and co-creator and co-creator of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, on climate solutions. She co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save and co-founded The All We Can Save Project. Recently, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. Previously, she was executive director of the Waitt Institute, developed policy at the EPA and NOAA, served as a leader of the March for Science, and taught as an adjunct professor at New York University. Dr. Johnson earned a BA from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy, and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine biology. She publishes widely, including in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Scientific American. She is on the 2021 Time 100 Next List and was named one of Elle’s 27 Women Leading on Climate. Outside magazine called her “the climate leader we need.”
Topics
Ocean Conservation
Ocean Policy and the Blue New Deal
Climate Change and Coastal Cities
Climate Change Solutions
Environmental Policy and Justice
