Dr. Mari-Vaughn Johnson is the Regional Administrator of the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI CASC), one of the nine regional centers that form the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center network. This position was formerly known as "Center Director".
Dr. Mari-Vaughn Johnson was previously an agronomist with the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Temple, Texas. She brings a systems-oriented perspective, informed by her experiences in international diplomacy, multi-functional land-use solutions, and policy impact assessments. She originally trained in plant ecology and wildlife sciences, earning an MS in environmental and plant biology at Ohio University and later a PhD in wildlife science at Texas A&M University. Between degrees, she volunteered as an intern with the USGS Biological Resource Division's Palila Restoration Project on Hawai‘i Island, conducting floristic surveys of invasive, endemic, and naturalized species. In 2010, Mari-Vaughn became a AAAS Fellow and put this team-building strategy into effect. She worked with the US State Department, leading the Lower Mekong Initiative and creating the Friends of the Lower Mekong. In this position, she formed multi-lateral relationships across multiple disciplines, coordinating between the federal agency, foreign governments, domestic and foreign academic institutions, and multi-national foundations, all with the goal of bringing science to policy more effectively. The experience also helped to hone her ability to work with diverse stakeholder interests and negotiate cross-discipline solutions. Mari-Vaughn provided scientific expertise to inform the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, an international agreement between the US and Canada. She also served as co-chair of the Global Young Academy, where she worked internationally to promote science-based solutions to local, regional, and global challenges including those of poverty, clean water access, biodiversity, and agriculture. Her most recent position at the USDA focused on the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), providing leadership and direction in funding of research related to wildlife, wetlands, and agricultural conservation practices by developing collaborative science portfolios that addressed stakeholder concerns related to sustainable agricultural production systems and water quality at regional and national scales.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Wildlife Science, Texas A&M University
M.S. in Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University
Science and Products
Agricultural conservation practices could help offset climate change impacts on cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie
Forecasting the combined effects of anticipated climate change and agricultural conservation practices on fish recruitment dynamics in Lake Erie
Streambed flux measurement informed by distributed temperature sensing leads to a significantly different characterization of groundwater discharge
In some places, in some cases, and at some times, harmful algal blooms are the greatest threat to inland water quality
Western Lake Erie Basin: Soft-data-constrained, NHDPlus resolution watershed modeling and exploration of applicable conservation scenarios
Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC): Adapting Together
Webinar: Ridge-to-Reef and Icefield-to-Ocean: Collaborative Research in Extreme Environments
Pacific Islands Indigenous Communities
Increasing Climate Extension in the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center
Future of Fire in the Pacific Islands: Towards a National Synthesis for Wildland Fire Under a Changing Climate
Science and Products
- Publications
Agricultural conservation practices could help offset climate change impacts on cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a recurring problem in many temperate large lake and coastal marine ecosystems, caused mainly by anthropogenic eutrophication. Implementation of agricultural conservation practices (ACPs) offers a means to reduce non-point source nutrient runoff and mitigate HABs. However, the effectiveness of ACPs in a changing climate remains uncertain. We used an integrated biophAuthorsMichael E. Fraker, Noel R Aloysius, Jay F. Martin, S. Conor Keitzer, David A Dippold, Haw Yen, Jeffrey G. Arnold, Prasad Daggupati, Mari-Vaughn Virginia Johnson, Dale M. Robertson, Scott P. Sowa, Michael J. White, Stuart A. LudsinForecasting the combined effects of anticipated climate change and agricultural conservation practices on fish recruitment dynamics in Lake Erie
Many aquatic ecosystems are experiencing multiple anthropogenic stressors that threaten their ability to support ecologically and economically important fish species. Two of the most ubiquitous stressors are climate change and non‐point source nutrient pollution.Agricultural conservation practices (ACPs, i.e. farming practices that reduce runoff, prevent erosion, and curb excessive nutrient loadinAuthorsDavid A Dippold, Noel Aloysis, S. Conor Keitzer, Haw Yen, Jeffrey G. Arnold, Prasad Daggupati, Michael E. Fraker, Jay F. Martin, Dale M. Robertson, Scott P. Sowa, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, Mike J. White, Stuart A. LudsinStreambed flux measurement informed by distributed temperature sensing leads to a significantly different characterization of groundwater discharge
Groundwater discharge though streambeds is often focused toward discrete zones, indicating that preliminary reconnaissance may be useful for capturing the full spectrum of groundwater discharge rates using point-scale quantitative methods. However, many direct-contact reconnaissance techniques can be time consuming, and remote sensing (e.g. thermal infrared) typically does not penetrate the waterAuthorsTroy E. Gilmore, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, J Korus, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Martin A. Briggs, V. Zlotnik, S. CorcoranIn some places, in some cases, and at some times, harmful algal blooms are the greatest threat to inland water quality
No abstract available.AuthorsBryan W. Brooks, James M. Lazorchak, Meredith D.A. Howard, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, Steve L. Morton, Dawn A.K. Perkins, Euan D. Reavie, Geoffrey L. Scott, Stephanie A. Smith, Jeffery A. SteevensWestern Lake Erie Basin: Soft-data-constrained, NHDPlus resolution watershed modeling and exploration of applicable conservation scenarios
Complex watershed simulation models are powerful tools that can help scientists and policy-makers address challenging topics, such as land use management and water security. In the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB), complex hydrological models have been applied at various scales to help describe relationships between land use and water, nutrient, and sediment dynamics. This manuscript evaluated the cAuthorsHaw Yen, Michael J. White, Jeffrey G. Arnold, S. Conor Keitzer, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, Jay D. Atwood, Prasad Daggupati, Matthew E. Herbert, Scott P. Sowa, Stuart A. Ludsin, Dale M. Robertson, Raghavan Srinivasan, Charles A. Rewa - Science
Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC): Adapting Together
The Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, or PI-CASC (pronounced “pie-cask”), supports regional climate expertise tailored to the unique challenges faced by island communities and ecosystems. PI-CASC serves communities on Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, supporting resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change.Webinar: Ridge-to-Reef and Icefield-to-Ocean: Collaborative Research in Extreme Environments
This webinar discussed how Alaska and Pacific Islands CASC scientists are responding to climate change challenges through cross-regional research, cultural engagement, and synthesis.Pacific Islands Indigenous Communities
For millennia, Indigenous Pacific Islanders have stewarded natural resources to sustain their communities, traditional ways of life, and cultural identities. This close relationship with the natural world puts these communities at the forefront of climate change impacts. Drawing upon a strong history of adaptation and innovation, Indigenous communities are key collaborators on adaptation work...Increasing Climate Extension in the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center
Hawaiʻi and the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands face unique challenges in adapting to climate change due to geographic isolation, coastal hazards, close cultural and economic links natural resources, and underserved populations. To address these problems, the PI-CASC works to develop actionable research products through collaborative engagement with cultural and natural resource manager t...Future of Fire in the Pacific Islands: Towards a National Synthesis for Wildland Fire Under a Changing Climate
Wildfire is a significant yet underappreciated issue on Pacific Islands that threatens ecosystems from ridge-tops to reefs, including native species, waters, human communities, and natural and cultural resources. In the Hawaiian archipelago, the percentage of land burned annually is equal or greater than that burned across the western United States, with most fires occurring in drier nonnative gra - Multimedia