Ana K. Spalding grew up inPanama.[2] Due to her father’s work as an engineer and her mother's work in conservation, she was encouraged by both to pursue environmental work.[2] In 1999, she received her Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from theUniversity of Richmond and a Masters degree in Marine Affairs and Policy from theUniversity of Miami in 2004. In 2011, she received a PhD in Environmental Studies from theUniversity of California, Santa Cruz.[3]
After receiving her PhD, Spalding worked as a postdoctoral fellow for two years at theSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. In 2015 she became a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and an assistant professor at the School of Public Policy atOregon State University.[4][5]
She is a part of thePacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC), a collaboration between research institutes in the pacific northwest to study wave and tidal energy.[6] In 2021, Ana Spalding conducted aNOAA-funded project on the impact of climate change and relevantacidification regulations on west coast states with a focus on the economic impacts in coastal communities producing shellfish.[4] In 2024, as a part of National Geographic’s project, “The Many Faces of Conservation: Impacts and meaning of Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on theNgäbe in Panama”, Spalding travelled toPopa Island off the coast of Panama. She met with Panama’s largest indigenous tribe, the Ngäbe Tribe, to develop a better understanding of how policy decisions impact their livelihood.[7]
In 2020, Spalding was provided a $150,000 grant by Ocean Nexus to use over two years. The project aims to train Ycaza in leadership and development of critical science communication.[8]
Spalding founded the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, which researches in resilience of both the environment and the surrounding communities to climate change, with the ultimate goal of globally easing stress and conflict stemming from climate change.[9][7]
Additionally, Spalding is a part of theSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), being the first marine researcher to join out of a total of 40 scientists on staff. The STRI manages several educational outreach programs, and collaborates with policy makers to influence policies and legislation related to climate change.[10]
In 2021, Spalding and 23 other women scientists published an article inPLOS Biology calling for a change to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive academic culture, afterNature Communications published an article stating it's better for women in science to be mentored by men than women.[5] Spalding and the paper's authors promote a "multidimensional" mode of understanding the mentor–protégé relationship, stressing that narrow, citation-oriented views of scientific impact disadvantage marginalized groups.[11]
Singh, G.G., Frenkel, C., Pheasey, H.et al. Area based conservation tools have mixed effects across all SDGs but research may overstate effects.Commun Earth Environ7, 34 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03040-3[12]
Spalding, Ana & Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten & Allison, Edward & Amon, Diva & Collin, Rachel & De Vos, Asha & Friedlander, Alan & Johnson, Steven & Mayorga, Juan & Paris, Claire & Scott, Cinda & Suman, Daniel & Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés & Estradivari, & Giron Nava, Jose & Gurney, Georgina & Harris, J. & Hicks, Christina & Mangubhai, Sangeeta & Thurber, Rebecca. (2023).Engaging the tropical majority to make ocean governance and science more equitable and effective. npj Ocean Sustainability. 2. 10.1038/s44183-023-00015-9.
Zuercher, Rachel & Ban, Natalie & Flannery, Wesley & Guerry, Anne & Halpern, Benjamin & Magris, Rafael Almeida & Mahajan, Shauna & Motzer, Nicole & Spalding, Ana & Stelzenmüller, Vanessa & Kramer, Jonathan. (2022).Enabling conditions for effective marine spatial planning. Marine Policy. 143. 105141. 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105141.
Crosman, Katherine & Allison, Edward & Ota, Yoshitaka & Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés & Singh, Gerald & Swartz, Wilf & Bailey, Megan & Barclay, Kate & Blume, Grant & Colléter, Mathieu & Fabinyi, Michael & Faustman, Elaine & Fielding, Russell & Griffin, P. & Hanich, Quentin & Harden-Davies, Harriet & Kelly, Ryan & Kenny, Tiff-Annie & Klinger, Terrie & Spalding, Ana. (2022).Social equity is key to sustainable ocean governance. npj Ocean Sustainability. 1. 4. 10.1038/s44183-022-00001-7.
Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten & Sullivan-Stack, Jenna & Roberts, Callum & Constant, Vanessa & Horta e Costa, Barbara & Pike, Elizabeth & Kingston, Naomi & Laffoley, Dan & Sala, Enric & Claudet, Joachim & Friedlander, Alan & Gill, David & Lester, Sarah & Day, Jon & Gonçalves, Emanuel & Ahmadia, Gabby & Rand, Matt & Villagomez, Angelo & Ban, Natalie & Lubchenco, Jane. (2021).The MPA Guide: A framework to achieve global goals for the ocean. Science. 373. 10.1126/science.abf0861.
Bennett, Nathan & Katz, Laure & Yadao-Evans, Whitney & Ahmadia, Gabby & Atkinson, Scott & Ban, Natalie & Dawson, Neil & De Vos, Asha & Fitzpatrick, Juno & Gill, David & Imirizaldu, Mael & Lewis, Naia & Mangubhai, Sangeeta & Meth, Leah & Muhl, Ella-Kari & Obura, David & Spalding, Ana & Villagomez, Angelo & Wagner, Daniel & Wilhelm, T.. (2021).Advancing Social Equity in and Through Marine Conservation. Frontiers in Marine Science. 8. 10.3389/fmars.2021.711538.
Davies, Sarah & Putnam, Hollie & Ainsworth, Tracy & Baum, Julia & Bove, Colleen & Crosby, Sarah & Côté, Isabelle & Duplouy, Anne & Fulweiler, Wally & Griffin, Alyssa & Hanley, Torrance & Hill, Tessa & Humanes, Adriana & Mangubhai, Sangeeta & Metaxas, Anna & Parker, Laura & Rivera, Hanny & Silbiger, Nyssa & Smith, Nicola & Bates, Amanda. (2021).Promoting inclusive metrics of success and impact to dismantle a discriminatory reward system in science. PLOS Biology. 19. e3001282. 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001282.
