Overview
OHI by the Numbers
Mon, Jun 23, 2025
We’re celebrating a milestone: the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) turns 30 this year! Over the last three decades, NCEAS has been a leader in advancing environmental data science by fostering a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and encouraging the advancement of open science.
The Ocean Health Index (OHI) is one of many important projects to emerge from this progress. OHI is a framework for assessing ocean health based on the sustainable provisioning of benefits and services people expect from healthy oceans, such as food, cultural and social value, and jobs. As the product of a diverse team of interdisciplinary scientists, OHI is unique because of its human-centered approach. By centering the relationship between people and their oceans, OHI provides a data-driven platform for managers to make informed decisions about their marine resources.
In the last 13 years, the OHI has analyzed 10 goals for 220 countries and territories, leading to 31 publications and counting. There have been a total of 20 fellows over the years, and this year we are excited to introduce 3 more:
Madison, Carmen, and Haylee are all graduates of the Master of Environmental Data Science (MEDS) program at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. The trio is equipped with strong foundational data science techniques acquired through the lens of solving environmental challenges. Throughout the program, they learned to harness statistical modeling, machine learning, and data visualization methods to tackle real-world problems and communicate critical insights with stakeholders: all skills that are extremely valuable to OHI’s yearly assessment.
While each fellow has completed the same graduate coursework, their strengths stem from their personal and professional experiences, each bringing a unique perspective to the assessment. Let’s learn a little more about them!
Question 1
What drew you to the Ocean Health Index, and what are you excited to learn?
Carmen: I was drawn to the Ocean Health Index as a way to merge my past experiences with marine biology and my new technical skills. Having been on the data collection side for many years, I am eager to see how an analysis-driven approach to sustainability works and how this framework can be applied to other areas of ocean conservation. I am excited to learn about all the different data sources and what the best practices are for documenting and sharing open-source code in a clean, concise way!
Haylee: Many things drew me to OHI, but the biggest was its human-centered approach to score calculation. As a scientist interested in interdisciplinary work, OHI seemed like the perfect example of using data science skills to support solutions for communities. I’m excited to peek behind the scenes and understand the details of exactly how a score with as many sources as this is calculated.
Madison: After participating in the MEDS program, I was so proud of our team’s capstone work, and wondered how exactly it would be used by environmental managers and researchers to help coastal communities. I realized that organizations like OHI were able to take huge amounts of valuable data like ours, and synthesize an end product that resonates with people the world over. When my professors from Bren and NCEAS mentioned the fellowship, I jumped at the chance to use my new found skills for a good cause! I feel beyond honored to be a part of such an incredible group, and can’t wait to learn more about geospatial analysis, discover new variables I can incorporate into marine ecosystem models, and to see what challenges and learning experiences await us!
Question 2
What is something you have found interesting and want to recommend to others?
Carmen: Whenever I need a break from the computer screen, I like to take a walk and listen to a new episode of Ologies by Allie Ward! There are no shortage of episodes, and you may even recognize NCEAS’s very own Ben Halpern!
Haylee: I couldn’t pick one thing, so I made a list of my recent ocean-adjacent things that have been bringing me joy lately. The graphic novel Anzuelo by Emma Rios, the album At the Beach in Every Life by Gigi Perez, and the poem I Go Down to the Shore by Mary Oliver.
Madison: I recently picked up a cookbook by Clarice Lam called “Breaking Bao”. It’s full of playful, lighthearted takes on classic bakes, where the chef combines flavors and ingredients predominately from east, southeast, and central Asia with baking techniques from all over the world. All of the bakes and snacks look absolutely incredible, and I can’t wait to try them out, but I also felt really inspired by Chef Lam’s story. Born in LA, raised in Hong Kong with her family, and traveling all over the world for her career, she had trouble expressing herself as she felt alienated and typecast for her looks and lifestyle. Struggling to find a place she fit in, she decided to become a chef to share her culture with others, to “make the unfamiliar familiar and approachable” while still maintaining her unique voice. I personally really resonated with her statement “if food is all connected, then people certainly must be too”, as it’s the same way I feel about people all over the world and our connection to the oceans. Maybe it’s a bit silly to read so deeply into a recipe for ‘Matcha-Azuki Mont Blanc’, but I highly recommend letting yourself get a bit silly with this book, and enjoy this delicious and goofy love letter to global cuisine!
Question 3
What is something people wouldn’t know about you from your professional profile?
Carmen: Most people don’t know that I love vintage cars and film cameras! My latest obsession is documenting all the old cars around my neighborhood here in Santa Barbara with a Minolta X-370. My favorite cars to spot are Toyota Land Cruisers and any iteration of the Volkswagen bus!
Haylee: I’m a big journaler! I have over a dozen journals from the past 8 years and they’re some of my most treasured possessions. The content varies wildly, but my favorite entries are from fun adventures with friends. I always record more details than I can remember, and it’s a pleasant surprise to relive those moments that had escaped my memory.
Madison: I am a pretty avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and have been in the same campaign for about 5 years now! I’ve always really enjoyed story telling, and in my free time I love writing novels and short stories, but building a story with a bunch of your friends is a special kind of magic lol! We all enjoy having a day set aside where we get to relax, be creative, and have fun as a group. Incidentally, I’ve got a pretty big dice collection going, and I love showing it off any chance I get. If you’re in the market for cute dice, I recommend Fennek & Finch! They’re a small business with affordable options and really unique designs, especially the gemstone ones! Check them out here!
Question 4
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Carmen: If you hadn’t already guessed, I would pick the ability to breath underwater! Then I could spend endless amounts of time exploring the reefs surrounding my favorite islands or the kelp forests here on the California coast.
Haylee: Teleportation. I love to travel and it would be so cool to be able to visit new places without the hassle and cost of transportation.
Madison: I’ve always wanted to have healing magic, like a Paladin or Cleric in Dungeons & Dragons! It would be incredible to wave my hand and restore an entire reef that had been bleached, a coastline that’s eroded away, or people that have been hurt. It would definitely make restoration projects a lot easier lol.