John Piña Craven (born 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is known for his involvement with Bayesian search theory and the recovery of lost objects at sea.

He holds a BA from Cornell University, an MA from the California Institute of Technology, a PhD from the University of Iowa and a JD from The National Law Center of The George Washington University.

Craven has had more than 40 years of experience in the innovation, development, design, construction and operational deployment of major oceanic systems. As a child he pursued ocean technology in the Brooklyn Technical High School and acquired a familiarity with the ocean on the beaches of Long Island and on the waterfront of New York City.