How Dr. Ayana Johnson Went from Unable to Equalize to Changing the World with Scuba Diving
Jeremy McKane"To the extent that people are diving in places where they have a connection to the local government... [they] can just call their elected officials and say, 'Look, I've been diving here for 20 years and it's a mess. You should do something about it.' I think that means a lot because not enough politicians have been underwater, right?" - Dr. Ayana Johnson
“I was probably voted least likely to do field work for my dissertation, but then I ended up being one of the most active divers at Scripps,” says Dr. Ayana Johnson with a laugh. “It was really important to me to understand what was going on underwater.”
Her diving had a major impact. Johnson, a marine biologist with heavy-hitting credentials like Harvard and the Scripps Institution, changed fishing laws around the world with her doctoral dissertation. In the years since, she has pioneered ocean zoning in the Caribbean, advised global leaders on marine policy and become a prominent climate advocate.
This influential diver celebrated Women’s Dive Day 2020 with Scuba Diving magazine, speaking with digital editor Alexandra Gillespie about how the world can harness the oceans to fight climate change and promote social equity, and the unique role divers can play in bringing about that change.
Watch the full interview, “Equitable Ocean Sustainability with Dr. Ayana Johnson,” below:
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