CICOES Fellowship Postdoctoral Scholars:

Dave Bonan

PhD, Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology (2024). I am working with Prof. David Battisti (UW) and Dr. Wei Cheng (NOAA PMEL) to investigate how climate model resolution impacts key physical processes in the climate system, such as long-term trends in sea-surface temperatures. Our research is aimed at explaining the discrepancy between observed and modeled Southern Ocean cooling over past few decades. I am also researching the physics of extreme events, such as heatwaves over the land and ocean surfaces. Climate science is inherently interdisciplinary, with the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, and land intricately coupled and influencing Earth’s climate across timescales from seasons to millennia. I enjoy working on research questions at the intersection of these components and thrive in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research environments.

Veronica Farrugia Drakard (UAF)

PhD, Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, 2022. I am working with Prof. Mike Stekoll (UAF CFOS) and Dr Jordan Hollarsmith (NOAA AFSC) to investigate the combined effects of future climate change and local environmental pressures on the reproduction, growth, and cultivation of major Alaskan kelp species. The ongoing process of global climate change presents novel and pressing challenges for marine ecosystems, and these ecosystems are also continuously affected by localised stressors, such as freshwater input or nutrient load. Global and local stressors have the potential to interact, resulting in complex and potentially unpredictable effects on marine systems, and particularly on foundation species such as kelps. Not only do kelp forests provide habitat for an incredibly diverse suite of associated species, but they also exhibit high levels of primary productivity, constitute the basis of inshore trophic networks, may contribute to marine carbon sequestration, and have significant commercial importance. Any impacts on kelp species will have knock-on effects on associated biodiversity and ecosystem services provided to coastal communities, and so it is of the utmost importance to untangle the effects of multiple stressors to facilitate more accurate predictions of the status of kelp forests under future climate scenarios.

Camille Hankel

PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University, 2024. I am working with Cecilia Bitz at UW and Wei Cheng at PMEL on how the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is sensitive to the rate of CO2 change in global climate models. By isolating the impact of the rate of CO2 change from the magnitude of CO2, I hope to deepen our understanding of the sensitivity of this key ocean circulation to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and reveal new coupled climate feedback mechanisms that emerge due to the different response timescales of the ocean, sea ice, and the atmosphere. I also study other large-scale climate phenomena that may exhibit abrupt responses to CO2 changes or sensitivity to the rate of CO2 change, with a particular interest in those that impact the high latitudes.

Sajna Hussain (OSU)

PhD in Biosciences from Mangalore University, India (2022). Currently collaborating with Prof. Lorenzo Ciannelli (CEAOS – OSU) and Dr. Mary Hunsicker (NWFSC-NOAA) to assess the impact of climate-induced habitat changes on the size/stage-specific distribution of key groundfish species in the Northern California Current Ecosystem Region. Fish species respond to habitat changes based on their adaptive capacity and resilience, influenced by their size/stage in the life cycle. The current rapid climate change scenario can induce unprecedented impacts on key marine habitats at different velocities, altering the complex spatial connectivity of size/stage-specific fish distribution within the marine environment, and impacting the resilience of fish populations. Our research aims to identify ontogenetic habitat shifts not addressed by present species distribution models, developing size/stage-specific SDMs. The research seeks to predict future distributions of the prioritized groundfish species under selected IPCC climate change scenarios using regional downscaled models. The project involves a robust collaboration with scientists from interdisciplinary backgrounds across partner institutes of CICOES.

Jannes Koelling

PhD, Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UCSD, 2020. I am working with Dr. Alison Gray (UW), Dr. Andrea Fassbender (NOAA PMEL), and Dr. Gregory Johnson (NOAA PMEL) to study ocean ventilation in deep water formation regions using biogeochemical Argo floats. At high latitudes, oxygen is taken up from the atmosphere and subsequently transported into the ocean interior, which is the main process by which it can enter the deep ocean and sustain life there. However, the exact pathways for this ventilation of deep waters with oxygen, and the factors controlling its strength and variability, are not well understood. The goal of my project is to improve our understanding of these processes using BGC-Argo float data, leading to a more complete picture of this “breathing” of the ocean. Personal website 

Xinyu Li

Ph.D. in Oceanography, University of Delaware, 2023. I am working with Dr. Brendan Carter (CICOES/NOAA PMEL) and Dr. Richard Feely (NOAA PMEL) to quantify anthropogenic carbon (C_antrho) in the coastal and global ocean. The ocean has absorbed C_antrho from the atmosphere and played an important role in mitigating climate change. In the coastal ocean, C_antrho has an outsized impact on the ecosystem and ecosystem services. However, how much and how C_antrho is accumulated and redistributed in the coastal ocean is limited and is still in need of coastal observational carbonate data. We will focus on using regional multiple linear regression models to quantify the rates and variability of C_antrho accumulation and explore the C_antrho storage mechanism along the North American Coasts with long-term and high-quality cruise data. This research is also critical to understanding C_antrho cycles and evaluating ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal.

Matt Luongo

PhD, Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 2024. I study large-scale climate dynamics through the lens of physical oceanography and coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions. As a CICOES Postdoctoral Fellow, I work with Prof. Kyle Armour (UW Atmospheric Sciences & Oceanography) and Dr. Gregory Johnson (NOAA PMEL) to study the role that ocean circulation has played in influencing the climate’s response to both natural variability and anthropogenic climate change over the past fifty years and into the future. During my postdoctoral appointment I’m particularly interested in understanding the historical mismatch in tropical Pacific sea surface temperature trends between observations and global climate models. I am exploring the extent to which model biases in the Southern Ocean are responsible for this mismatch and, more broadly, contributing to the discussion on how extratropical forcing affects the tropics and excites global climate impacts. Personal website.

Alexandra McInturf (OSU)

PhD, Animal Behavior, University of California, Davis (2021). Dr. McInturf is working with Dr. Taylor Chapple (OSU) and Dr. David Huff (NOAA NWFSC) to explore the impact of Salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) on threatened salmon populations in the Northeast Pacific region. Though heavily managed, some salmon stocks here, such as Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), have not recovered from historic declines in baseline abundance. Predation is likely a key factor inhibiting this recovery; however, our ability to monitor salmon survival at sea is limited, and the effect of lesser-known predators like Salmon sharks remains absent from modeling efforts of this system. The aim of the project is to fill existing knowledge gaps on Salmon sharks to better parameterize salmon stock assessments and ecosystem models. Specifically, we will assess their diet and energetic requirements using a combination of biologging, stable isotope and stomach content analysis. We will then expand to the population-level, quantifying Salmon shark distribution and spatial overlap with salmon habitat using species distribution models. This project is highly collaborative, with the research team extending to various agency groups and other CICOES-affiliated institutions. Personal website

Additional Postdoctoral Scholars:

Varunesh Chandra

PhD, Atmospheric Science, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India, 2023. I am working with Dr. Muyin Wang and Dr. James Overland (CICOES, also affiliated with NOAA PMEL) and Professor Qiang Fu (Department of Atmospheric Sciences) on investigating the causes and consequences of Arctic Amplification, specifically examining how melting Arctic sea ice influences midlatitude regions. This project focuses on the connection between the recent decline in winter Arctic sea ice and cold weather extremes in the mid-latitude areas, particularly potential vorticity (PV) dynamics, Investigating how the weakening of the potential vorticity (PV) barrier interacts with cold extremes across various regions and different time scales using observational data, model outputs (e.g., CMIPs and Large Ensemble Runs), and experimental support through climate model.

Larissa Marie Dias

PhD, Coastal and Marine System Sciences, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (2022). Dr. Dias is working with Dr. Brendan Carter (CICOES/NOAA PMEL) to improve the usability of Biogeochemical (BGC) Argo autonomous float data. Her project aims to produce three interrelated data products which align with this goal.  First, Dr. Dias will develop and validate existing machine-learning based methods (empirical seawater property estimation routines) which allow estimation of carbonate and non-carbonate nutrient seawater properties from observations such as BGC Argo. Second, she will propose recommended adjustments for cruise pH and release a companion product to datasets with adjustments applied to account for inconsistencies in measurements strategies used for pH and incomplete metadata. Third, she will produce a semi-automated Quality Control Assistance Tool aimed at helping researchers identify anomalous seawater measurements that warrant further investigation. Ocean acidification and climate changes are increasingly impacting marine systems and the organisms and people who rely on them. Larissa’s research helps to address these pressing issues by helping researchers more efficiently use the growing quantity of available oceanic chemistry data.

Kee Onn Fong

PhD, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, 2021. My research currently focuses on the exchange of gases between the ocean and atmosphere.  At the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, I am helping to develop a next-generation instrument for measuring carbon in seawater on autonomous platforms. Previously, I studied how bubbles mediate ocean-atmosphere gas exchange in the Labrador Sea, as well as conducted laboratory experiments on particle-turbulence interactions in a boundary layer and spray droplet formation from an air-water coaxial nozzle. My research interests include upper ocean turbulence, drivers such as heat exchange and wind-wave interaction, and their effects on ocean-atmosphere gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. I am also interested in thermodynamics, environmental multiphase flows, and soft robotics for autonomous ocean measurement applications.

Ernesto Guerrero-Fernandez

PhD, Mathematics, University of Malaga (Spain), 2022. I am working with Dr. Yong Wei (CICOES/NOAA PMEL) and other researchers at the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research (NCTR) to investigate and assess the generation, propagation and impact of tsunami waves. We focus on the development and efficient implementation of new mathematical models and numerical schemes that allows us to capture the complex hydrodynamic and morphodynamic behavior associated with extreme flooding phenomena, such as tsunami waves. The results of this research allows us to not only broaden our understanding of these events, but to assess potential risks and provide robust and reliable tools for the authorities. Current research lines include morphodynamics changes in the existing bathymetry due to tsunamis waves, and its final impact in the behavior and inundation; simulation of meteo-tsunamis and storm surges; development and evaluation of machine learning techniques to implement in new and existing mathematical models to expand its physical validity while keeping intact the required efficiency of these codes. Some keywords are: Balance laws and non-conservative hyperbolic systems, Shallow water systems, Numerical methods for PDEs: Finite Volume, Galerkin discontinuous methods, High order and well-balanced numerical schemes.

Rui Jin

PhD, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University (2024). My expertise lies in advancing coastal and Earth system modeling to address challenges in global biogeochemistry and computational oceanography. At CICOES, I am working with Dr. Kelly Kearney (NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center), Dr. Darren Pilcher (NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center), and Dr. Brendan Carter (NOAA PMEL) to investigate marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) strategies using Earth system modeling. My research focuses on the interplay between biogeochemical processes, ocean ecosystems, and carbon sequestration, with a particular emphasis on biotic calcification feedbacks and their impact on mCDR effectiveness. Using the global MOM6-COBALT Earth system model, I study how calcification processes respond to changes in carbonate chemistry and influence carbon storage over century-scale timescales. By refining COBALT biogeochemical model variants, I aim to enhance the accuracy of simulations and deepen understanding of these dynamics. Through this work, I contribute to the development of sustainable, ocean-based carbon management strategies that mitigate climate change by reducing atmospheric CO₂. My research provides critical insights into the potential and limitations of mCDR approaches, with significant implications for marine ecosystem sustainability and climate change mitigation. Personal website.

Gulce Kurtay

Ph.D. in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2023. I am currently working with Dr. Calvin Mordy (CICOES/NOAA PMEL) and Dr. Valentina Staneva (eScience) on the development of a model that classifies phytoplankton using images from IFCB, incorporating machine learning techniques. In the following phase I will extend the model to work with other types of image sources, such as FlowCam. Under the guidance of Dr. Lisa Eisner (NOAA/AFSC), Dr. Jens Nielsen (NOAA/EcoFOCI), Dr. Alyson Deary (NOAA/EcoFOCI), and Jeanette Gann (NOAA/AFSC), as part of a broader collaboration, my main focus is on studying the distribution of phytoplankton communities in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. Additionally, I am investigating how phytoplankton traits vary in response to environmental conditions across different years and seasons.

Qiuxian Li

PhD, Physical Oceanography, Ocean University of China, 2023. I am working with Dr. Wei Cheng (CICOES/NOAA PMEL), Dr. LuAnne Thompson (UW Oceanography), and Dr. Kyle Armour (UW Oceanography/Atmospheric Sciences) to investigate the relationships between equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) and various factors, including cloud feedbacks, characteristics of ocean heat uptake (OHU), and the strength of the  Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). We are focusing on analyzing the existing CMIP6 model outputs. Additionally, we will validate a new E3SM configuration with cloud locking and a slab ocean model. Our research aims to determine the individual contributions of cloud feedbacks and OHU anomalies to ECS and examine their temporal dependencies using the newly developed E3SM‐SOM configuration. Furthermore, we will quantify the extent to which the spread of ECS values across CMIP6 models can be attributed to distinct OHU patterns in these models. Especially, we will investigate the relative contributions of OHU in the subpolar North Atlantic and that occurring in the Southern Ocean to the modeled spread of ECS values.

Elizabeth McGeorge

Ph.D. Mathematics. University of Canterbury (New Zealand). 2023. I am working with Dr. Yolande Serra (UW CICOES), Dr. Dongxiao Zhang (UW CICOES/NOAA PMEL) and Dr. Meghan Cronin (NOAA PMEL). Our current work is part of a much larger process study to be carried out at the eastern edge of the warm pool (EEWP) and cold tongue regions seeking to address uncertainties in processes regulating sea surface temperatures (SSTs). A key parameter for regulating equatorial SST and the location of the EEWP is upper ocean vertical velocity, which is needed in the calculation of turbulent mixing within the mixed layer and vertical advection of water properties across the base of the mixed layer over a range of time scales. We are investigating the usefulness of acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCPs) on Saildrones for calculating vertical velocity. This work aims to assist in reducing model biases in the eastern tropical Pacific and improving skill in El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) predictions.

Lauren Moseley

PhD, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University (2024). My doctoral work used in situ observations to optimize ocean biogeochemical models in order to better understand oxygen and carbon cycling in the North Atlantic Ocean. I am working with Dr. Jonathan Sharp (UW CICOES) and Dr. Andrea Fassbender (NOAA PMEL) to examine the fidelity of global ocean biogeochemical models against observation-based data products. Using these novel 4-D products as constraints, I am assessing our ability to accurately model the mean state and variability of ocean interior biogeochemistry and ecosystem stressors. We aim to yield actionable insight to advance biogeochemical model improvement and the management of marine resources and ecosystems.

Sarah Nickford

PhD, Oceanography, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (2023). I’m working with Dr. Adrienne Sutton (NOAA PMEL) and Dr. Evan Howard (CICOES/NOAA PMEL) to investigate high frequency variability of surface ocean pCO2 and its drivers. Our work uses uncrewed surface vehicles to collect data at the air-sea interface, targeting remote regions and harsh weather conditions where observations are historically undersampled. Our goal is to advance the application of these new and emerging technologies, leading to wider adoption of new observing assets in the global ocean observing system to address gaps in observing and knowledge of surface ocean carbon variability and change.

Stephanie (Steffi) O’Daly

PhD, Oceanography, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2024. I am working with Dr. Zach Erickson at NOAA PMEL and Dr. Adam Martiny at UCI to investigate drivers of the strength and efficiency of organic carbon storage in the global oceans due to biological activity (e.g., the biological carbon pump) using in-situ cameras called Underwater Vision Profilers (UVP). Phytoplankton convert carbon dioxide into particulate organic carbon through photosynthesis in the surface of the ocean. When these cells die, they can sink due to the force of gravity away from the air-sea interface. The deeper the particulate organic carbon reaches before it is consumed and respired by bacteria results in increased carbon storage in the ocean from the atmosphere. This process is called the biological carbon pump. This research is critical to understanding whether carbon storage in the ocean will likely be enhanced or reduced due to climate change, which would cause either a negative or positive feedback loop on climate change. I am doing this work as U.S. Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) Postdoctoral Fellow with joint appointments at the University of Washington and NOAA PMEL.

Yakelyn Ramos Juaregui

I earned my Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science – Data Science option from the University of Washington (UW) in 2024, where I investigated the complex interactions between the Madden-Julian Oscillation and El Niño onset, with a particular focus on how large-scale freshwater fluxes influence ocean currents in the equatorial western Pacific warm pool. Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at CICOES, working with Dr. Chidong Zhang at NOAA PMEL’s Ocean Climate Research Division and Professor Shuyi Chen at UW. My research aims to enhance atmospheric river (AR) prediction capabilities by integrating GPS retrievals with satellite observations and Numerical Weather Prediction datasets, helping to reduce biases associated with AR events. Additionally, I am developing software solutions to optimize buoy placement in regions prone to AR activity. Beyond my research on ARs, I am actively involved in the planning of the upcoming TPOS Equatorial Pacific Experiment (TEPEX) field campaign, scheduled for 2026-2027, contributing to efforts that will improve our understanding of tropical ocean-atmosphere interactions.

Vivek Seelanki

Ph.D, Physical Oceanography, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi, India), 2022. I am working with Drs. Wei Cheng and Albert J. Hermann (CICOES, also affiliated with NOAA PMEL and Dr. Phyllis Stabeno (NOAA PMEL) on implementation and refinement of a regional Modular Ocean Model version 6 (MOM6) for the Northeast Pacific domain (MOM6-NEP), spanning from Baja California to the Chukchi Sea.  MOM6-NEP incorporates ocean biogeochemical, sea ice, and tidal dynamics. The goal of the research is to perform multi-decadal simulations using MOM6-NEP under historical atmospheric and oceanic forcing conditions, evaluate the results against in-situ and satellite observations, identify model biases, and develop methods to reduce those biases. This work will support the NOAA cross-line office Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) to assist NOAA Fisheries management. Personal website

Sam Setta

PhD, Oceanography, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (2023) and MS, Marine Biology, Texas A&M University (2018). I’m working with Dr. Sean McAllister (CICOES/NOAA PMEL) and Dr. Zachary Gold (NOAA PMEL) to understand how warming, ocean acidification, and hypoxia affect the highly productive U.S. West Coast, and Bering Sea. Our work uses molecular techniques, such as eDNA, to identify species in a variety of ecosystems, is in collaboration with other NOAA ‘Omics groups and is part of the West Coast Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON). My research examines the base of the food-web, studying the distribution and diversity of phytoplankton with changes in acidification and temperature along the West Coast and Bering Sea. These projects will also investigate species vulnerable to acidification, and those that cause harmful algal blooms. Differences in the phytoplankton community with acidification and warming will be linked to changes in zooplankton and fish at higher trophic levels and used to develop species sensitivity indices.