About Me

I am a Research Scientist at the Georgia Aquarium where I study how changing Arctic and subarctic environments impact the physiology and health of marine mammals. My passion lies in the field of conservation physiology, where researchers utilize physiological biomarkers to help assess an animal’s ability to respond to environmental or anthropogenic stressors.

I received my B.S. in marine biology from Hawaii Pacific University in 2011. In 2016, I obtained my M.S. in marine biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My M.S. research focused on analyzing stress-related and reproductive hormones extracted from Pacific walrus bone. In 2022, I completed my Ph.D. in Biology from Baylor University, where my research focused on measuring steroid hormones, stable isotopes, and trace elements from chronologically grown tissues in marine vertebrates. I was a National Academies NRC Research Fellow at NOAA in the Wildlife Algal-toxin Research and Response Network for the U.S. West Coast (WARRN-West) lab from 2022 – 2024 prior to joining the Georgia Aquarium in November 2024. I work remotely in Seattle, WA in collaboration with the WARRN-West lab, among many other collaborators, on my ongoing Alaskan Arctic HAB projects. Please check out my current research projects here to learn more!  

I grew up in Milwaukee, WI and I am an avid Green Bay Packer and Milwaukee Bucks fan.

Field Photo: D. Johnson