Erika Woolsey

Dr. Erika Woolsey is a marine biologist, National Geographic Explorer, XR Creator, Visiting Scholar at the Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab, and Chief Scientist & CEO of The Hydrous, a 501c3 non-profit on a mission to create “open access oceans” so that all people may explore, understand, and engage with marine environments, which are severely threatened by climate change and human impacts.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Woolsey conducted her PhD research in coral reef ecology on the Great Barrier Reef with James Cook University and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, earned her Masters of Applied Science in Coastal Management from the University of Sydney, and studied biology and art history at Duke University. She was an Ocean Design Fellow and Lecturer at Stanford University with the d.school and the Center for Ocean Solutions in 2018 and 2019.