How can we use the ocean without using it up? This is the primary question that Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is addressing through her work in the realm of ocean science and policy.

CMBC alumna Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Photo: Erika Johnson/UC San Diego

Johnson is a woman of many talents: she’s a marine biologist, policy expert, conservation strategist, and graduate of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego (MS ’09, PhD ’11), where she studied marine biology through the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (CMBC). She’s also the founder and CEO of Ocean Collectiv, a strategy consulting firm for ocean sustainability grounded in social justice.

The impressive alumna and Triton 40 Under 40 recipient returned to campus on Sept. 26 to serve as keynote speaker at the Scripps Student Symposium (S3), an annual research conference organized by Scripps students. Now in its sixth year, the symposium features presentations and poster sessions designed to showcase the breadth of Scripps research to the new class of students.