Current Research Interests
Professor Johnston's research interests include economic valuation, benefit transfer and ecosystem services, with an emphasis on aquatic, riparian and coastal systems. His recent work has focused on the economics of coastal vulnerability and adaptation (e.g., to sea level rise and coastal flooding), and the coordination of economic and ecological models to value aquatic, riparian and coastal ecosystem services. Beginning in January 2018 he will be editor of the journal Resource and Energy Economics. In addition to his grant-funded research, he works closely with international organizations, government agencies and non-profit organizations to assist in the use of economic information to guide environmental and natural resource decisions. He is a past member of the US EPA Science Advisory Board, and a current member of the Ecosystem Science and Management Working Group of NOAA Scientific Advisory Board, the Steering Committee and Science Advisory Board of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, and the Senior Advisory Board of the Connecticut Sea Grant Program. He has also served on multiple National Research Council Panels for the National Academy of Sciences addressing environmental and natural resource issues. His publications place him amount the top 10% of economists worldwide according to the REPEC (Research Papers in Economics) database ranking.