Jessica Lehman

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About

Jessica Lehman is a geographer whose work critically examines the shifting technologies and social relations of ocean sensing. Her research lies at the intersection of environmental geography, science and technology studies, and political ecology, with a focus on how we come to know and govern the world ocean. Her most-cited paper, “From ships to robots: The social relations of sensing the world ocean” (2017, 79 citations), is a landmark contribution that analyzes the profound implications of oceanography’s move from ship-based sampling to remote and robotic sensing via satellites, drifting floats, and autonomous underwater vehicles. Lehman argues that this technological transition is not merely a neutral upgrade but reshapes who can produce ocean knowledge, what aspects of the ocean are made visible, and how the ocean is understood as a political and ecological space. This work has been influential in geography, ocean studies, and environmental humanities, prompting scholars to consider the power dynamics embedded in ocean data infrastructures. Lehman’s scholarship is notable for its interdisciplinary reach and its insistence on bringing social theory to bear on the material practices of ocean science, making her a vital voice for students and researchers interested in the politics of environmental knowledge and the future of ocean governance.