Karina Johnston
Bren PhD student
Office: Bren Hall 4330
Email: karinajohnston@ucsb.edu
Karina Johnston has been a passionate scientific and community leader in the California region for many years, with an increasing level of responsibility culminating in her current position as a Senior Restoration Ecologist for Tidal Influence, LLC, where she leads coastal restoration and management projects throughout California. Prior to her current role, Karina was the Science Director for The Bay Foundation (LA-based non-profit), and she helped lead the organization by developing and directing projects, seeking and implementing funding, leading organizational scientific efforts, and developing and executing communication strategies to help implement regional strategic plans. She has directed many projects to research and restore coastal habitats, including beaches, dunes, wetlands, and marine habitats. Karina’s current research and project interests are focused on improving the resilience of our coastlines to climate impacts such as sea level rise and flooding through the implementation of nature-based adaptation strategies such as dune restoration. In 2021, she began her PhD at UCSB with this focus and is a current Sea Grant Graduate Fellow and undergraduate mentor. Karina also served in several roles for Loyola Marymount University (LMU), including Director of Programs for LMU’s Coastal Research Institute (CRI). In 2021, she won the Part Time Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award from LMU for her teaching and research service. Karina received her B.S. from UCSB and her M.S. from James Cook University. She is also a Board Certified Environmental Scientist, a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner, and serves as the current Facilitator for the Goleta Slough Management Committee and on the Board of Directors for the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.