Dr Kenneth Johnson
Principal Researcher
Department: Earth Sciences
Division: ES Invertebrates and Plants Palaeobiology
Specialisms: 1. Coral Reef Ecology and Palaeoecology, 2. Biotic Response to Environmental Change, 3. Biodiversity Patterns, 4.Taxonomy of Reef Corals, 5. Quantitative Palaeobiology, 6. Biodiversity Informatics
Summary
I study the history of coral reef ecosystems over time scales ranging from decades to tens of millions of years. Coral reefs are currently experiencing rapid change, resulting from a variety of natural and anthropogenic impacts. Documenting how reefs have responded to past environmental changes will help to constrain the potential trajectory of future changes and allow us to plan accordingly. This work requires assembling large-scale biodiversity and ecological databases to compare ecosystem structure and function in multiple regions, such as my projects in the Coral Triangle and the Caribbean. I take advantage of new advances in informatics and enjoy developing and applying the quantitative methods required to address these issues.
Qualifications
Degrees
- PhD, Geology, University of Iowa, USA
- BS, St. Lawrence University, United States
Academic
- Principal Researcher, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom, 2021 - ongoing
- Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol, School of Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2018 - ongoing
- Head of Division Invertebrates and Plants, Natural History Museum, Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2017 - 2021
- Researcher, Natural History Museum, Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2005 - ongoing
- Assistant Curator, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, USA, 2001 - 2005
- Associate Project Scientist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA, 2000 - 2003
- Posgraduate Research Paleontologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA, 1999 - 2000
- Advanced Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, 1994 - 1998
- NSF/NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, Natural History Museum London, United Kingdom, 1992 - 1993
- Predoctoral Research Fellow, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, 1989 - 1990
Highlighted publications
- Renema W, Pandolfi JM, Kiessling W, Bosellini FR, Klaus JS, Korpanty C, Rosen BR, Santodomingo N, Wallace CC, Webster JM, Johnson KG (2016) Are coral reefs victims of their own past success?. Science Advances 2, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1500850
- Santodomingo N, Renema W, Johnson KG (2016) Understanding the murky history of the Coral Triangle: Miocene corals and reef habitats in East Kalimantan (Indonesia). Coral Reefs 35, 765 - 781. doi: 10.1007/s00338-016-1427-y
- Yarlett R, Cavada F, Lang J, Johnson KG (2016) A sustainable museum collection of historical imagery for coral reef baselines. Coral Reefs 35, 527 - 527. doi: 10.1007/s00338-016-1426-z
- JOHNSON KG, HASIBUAN F, MULLER W, TODD JA (2015) BIOTIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORIGINS OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARINE BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT: THE THROUGHFLOW PROJECT. PALAIOS 30, 1 - 6. doi: 10.2110/palo.2014.103
- Johnson KG, Brooks SJ, Fenberg PB, Glover AG, James KE, Lister AM, Michel E, Spencer M, Todd JA, Valsami-Jones E, Young JR, Stewart JR (2011) Climate Change and Biosphere Response: Unlocking the Collections Vault. BioScience 61, 147 - 153. doi: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.2.10
- Perry CT, Smithers SG, Johnson KG (2009) Long-term coral community records from Lugger Shoal on the terrigenous inner-shelf of the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral Reefs 28, 941 - 948. doi: 10.1007/s00338-009-0528-2
- Johnson KG, Jackson JBC, Budd AF (2008) Caribbean Reef Development Was Independent of Coral Diversity over 28 Million Years. Science 319, 1521 - 1523. doi: 10.1126/science.1152197
- Renema W, Bellwood DR, Braga JC, Bromfield K, Hall R, Johnson KG, Lunt P, Meyer CP, McMonagle LB, Morley RJ, O'Dea A, Todd JA, Wesselingh FP, Wilson MEJ, Pandolfi JM (2008) Hopping Hotspots: Global Shifts in Marine Biodiversity. Science 321, 654 - 657. doi: 10.1126/science.1155674
Highlighted publications
- Renema W, Pandolfi JM, Kiessling W, Bosellini FR, Klaus JS, Korpanty C, Rosen BR, Santodomingo N, Wallace CC, Webster JM, Johnson KG (2016) Are coral reefs victims of their own past success?. Science Advances 2, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1500850
- Santodomingo N, Renema W, Johnson KG (2016) Understanding the murky history of the Coral Triangle: Miocene corals and reef habitats in East Kalimantan (Indonesia). Coral Reefs 35, 765 - 781. doi: 10.1007/s00338-016-1427-y
- Yarlett R, Cavada F, Lang J, Johnson KG (2016) A sustainable museum collection of historical imagery for coral reef baselines. Coral Reefs 35, 527 - 527. doi: 10.1007/s00338-016-1426-z
- JOHNSON KG, HASIBUAN F, MULLER W, TODD JA (2015) BIOTIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORIGINS OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARINE BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT: THE THROUGHFLOW PROJECT. PALAIOS 30, 1 - 6. doi: 10.2110/palo.2014.103
- Johnson KG, Brooks SJ, Fenberg PB, Glover AG, James KE, Lister AM, Michel E, Spencer M, Todd JA, Valsami-Jones E, Young JR, Stewart JR (2011) Climate Change and Biosphere Response: Unlocking the Collections Vault. BioScience 61, 147 - 153. doi: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.2.10
- Perry CT, Smithers SG, Johnson KG (2009) Long-term coral community records from Lugger Shoal on the terrigenous inner-shelf of the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral Reefs 28, 941 - 948. doi: 10.1007/s00338-009-0528-2
- Johnson KG, Jackson JBC, Budd AF (2008) Caribbean Reef Development Was Independent of Coral Diversity over 28 Million Years. Science 319, 1521 - 1523. doi: 10.1126/science.1152197
- Renema W, Bellwood DR, Braga JC, Bromfield K, Hall R, Johnson KG, Lunt P, Meyer CP, McMonagle LB, Morley RJ, O'Dea A, Todd JA, Wesselingh FP, Wilson MEJ, Pandolfi JM (2008) Hopping Hotspots: Global Shifts in Marine Biodiversity. Science 321, 654 - 657. doi: 10.1126/science.1155674