Spotlight | Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Welcome to Broadway Stages’ Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues. March is Women’s History Month. Throughout the month, Broadway Stages will feature and celebrate exceptional women who have made a mark and those who continue to make a difference in the story of our future. This week we feature marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

photo Credit: Ryan Lash

Outside Magazine called Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson “The most influential marine biologist of our time.” And as productive as she is, it is no surprise. She was a driving force behind the nonprofit organizations Urban Ocean Lab and The All We Can Save Project.

The nonprofit Urban Ocean Lab recognizes the urgent danger coastal cities face from climate change. The organization develops and seeks science-based, practical climate solutions. Follow their outstanding work on Instagram and Twitter and support the cause HERE.

The All We Can Save Project nurtures climate leaders and strives to create a connected climate community. The organization’s model is rooted in the work and wisdom of women, especially Black women. Stay updated about the organization on Instagram and Twitter, and keep informed about upcoming events HERE.

Dr. Johnson was born in Brooklyn and earned a B.A. from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy. She then went on to study marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. During her studies there, she designed a fish trap to reduce bycatch. The fish trap won the first Rare/National Geographic Solution Search. Her dissertation on the ecology, socioeconomics, and policy of sustainably managing coral reefs earned her a Ph.D.  

Her studies and work have taken her around the world, but New York City is still a vital part of her life. She said, “there is more creative thinking about what that means here because it’s not entrenched in policy or NGO framework as it is in D.C., for example.” She went on to say, “The rivers are cleaner than they have been in 100 years, which means the Clean Water Act and all the efforts to improve water quality around New York have actually been working.”

Dr. Johnson’s advice is often sought out by those who share her passion for the world’s health. She acts as a leader in the corporate world as a board of directors member for Patagonia and GreenWave. She shares her insight with the  Environmental Voter Project and Scientific American as she sits on their advisory boards. And in addition to serving on the steering committee for the Ocean Justice Forum, she recently co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy being put forward by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

As if this were not enough, Dr. Johnson is an accomplished writer and editor. She co-edited All We Can Save, a bestselling climate anthology with Dr. Katherine Wilkinson. Moreover, she has been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Scientific American, and Time to name a few. Her forthcoming book has the working title What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futurism. 

Dr. Johnson’s excellence has been deservedly recognized too often to give an exhaustive list here. But some of her more recent recognitions include the Schneider Award for climate communication, the Time, and appointment to the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.

With all her hard work, it can be challenging to keep up with her work, but we suggest you try by following her on Instagram and Twitter. youdont’ want to miss what comes next. We are lucky to have someone like Dr. Johnson working to help save our planet.