Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Ayana Johnson
Born1980 or 1981 (age 44–45)
EducationHarvard University (BA)
University of California, San Diego (MS, PhD)
OrganizationUrban Ocean Lab
Known forMarine biology
Marine conservation
Climate communication
Climate policy
Board member ofPatagonia
Greenwave
AwardsTime100 NEXT 2021
Scientific career
ThesisFish, Fishing, Diving and the Management of Coral Reefs (2011)
Doctoral advisorJeremy Jackson
WebsiteOfficial website
External videos
How to find joy in climate action, TED2022
A Coral Reef Love Story, TED2019

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (born 1980 or 1981) is a marine biologist, policy expert, and conservation strategist. She is the co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for ocean-climate policy in coastal cities, and the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. She is the author of What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures (2024). She also co-edited All We Can Save and co-authored the Blue New Deal.

She was an adjunct professor at New York University in the Department of Environmental Studies and previously worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).