Mitch Johnson

Mitch Johnson supports The Bay Foundation’s Ocean Resilience Program as a Program Project Coordinator. In 2016, he received a B.S. in Environmental Science with minors in Marine Biology and Climate Change from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca New York. His research here focused on studying the marine mass mortality event known as sea star wasting disease, which decimated sea star populations across the western coast of the United States in 2014.  After leaving Cornell, Mitch pursued a career as a Fisheries Observer working aboard commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea of Alaska in partnership with NOAA and NMFS to help track and support the sustainable catch of commercially important species. While at sea Mitch decided to pursue further education and moved back to Southern California to acquire a master’s degree in marine ecology at San Diego State University. Here he spent his time researching the effects of climate change on community interactions within kelp forests and fell in love with scientific diving. Mitch has a strong passion for teaching others about the ocean’s wonders. He has contributed to this through his time working as a marine science instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute on Catalina Island and Mission Bay Aquatic Center in San Diego. In his free time, Mitch enjoys surfing, producing music, and exploring local natural spaces with his dog Mako.