Sea Grant Advisor Receives Ocean Conservation Award

October 7, 2005

Contact: Christina S. Johnson, csjohnson@ucsd.edu, 858-822-5334

Leigh Taylor Johnson, a marine advisor in San Diego with the California Sea Grant College Program, has been awarded the 2005 Roger Revelle Perpetual Award by the San Diego Oceans Foundation.

Johnson was selected for her efforts to increase local knowledge of the effects of pollutants on ocean waters, the understanding of methods to reduce both non-point source pollution and the toxicity of coatings on boat hulls, and her leadership in successfully providing the needed information on practical solutions to the boating community. Further information about her work can be found at http://seagrant.ucdavis.edu/

Leigh Johnson and Jamie Gonzalez

California Sea Grant Marine Advisor, Leigh Johnson (r) and Program Representative, Jamie Gonzalez, pose with the 2005 Roger Revelle Perpetual Award from the San Diego Oceans Foundation. The award recognizes their work to educate the public about the effects of pollutants on ocean waters, how to reduce nonpoint source pollution, and alternatives to toxic coatings on boat hulls.

The Roger Revelle Perpetual Award has been given annually since 1988 and recognizes scientists and others from academia, industry, the military, recreation and philanthropy who take the initiative to help resolve ocean issues and encourage stewardship of ocean resources. It is awarded to someone who has had an impact on San Diego's ocean community and/or the local marine environment.

The award is named for the late Dr. Roger Revelle, a past director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the impetus behind the founding of the University of California San Diego. The sizeable trophy includes a sculpture of the local underwater marine environment—a hand-carved wooden Garibaldi (the California state marine fish) and associated habitat mounted on a pedestal trophy base. The sea life sculptures were carved by internationally renowned marine artist Bob Berry.

Johnson also recently earned two Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) for her antifouling publications: the booklet "Making Dollars and Sense of Nontoxic Antifouling Strategies for Boats," and her website http://seagrant.ucdavis.edu. Her documentary, "Time for A Change: Alternatives to Copper-Based Boat Bottom Paint," won national Telly and Communicator awards for outstanding video productions.

Johnson has earned a Master's degree in 2002 in Ecology-Environmental Policy Analysis from University of California, Davis; a Master of Science degree in Botany and Marine Ecology at the University of Michigan in 1973; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from Iowa State University in 1971. She joined the California Sea Grant program in 1984. Johnson's position is jointly funded by Sea Grant and University of California Cooperative Extension, with support from the County of San Diego.

NOAA's California Sea Grant is a statewide, multi-university program of marine research, extension services, and education activities. It is the largest of the nation's 30 Sea Grant programs and is headquartered at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.

 

Previous Roger Revelle Perpetual Award Honorees

  • 2004 San Diego's Think Blue Team:
  • Ernie Anderson, Karen Henry, Deborah Castillo
  • 2003 Mr. John Robertus
  • 2002 Captain, Charles Bishop (ret)
  • 2001 Mr. James R. Stewart
  • 2000 Mr. Walter H. Munk
  • 1999 Dr. Andreas Rechnitzer
  • 1998 Mr. Arthur DeFever
  • 1997 Mr. Milton Shedd
  • 1996 Dr. James Joseph
  • 1995 Mr. Frank Powell
  • 1994 Mr. F. Seth Brown
  • 1993 Mr. Robert Fletcher
  • 1992 Mr. Peter Seligman
  • 1991 Dr. Joy Zedler
  • 1990 Dr. John Hunter
  • 1989 Dr. Edward Goldberg
  • 1988 Dr. William Evans