Paper highlights!
Daily averaged relative vorticity for the 250 m (left column) and 2 km (right column) ROMS at the surface near Cape Blanco (top row) and at depth near Coos Bay (bottom row) on April 12, 2016.
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This 2018-2019 academic year I will be apart of traineeship program at OSU that aims to prepare a new generation of scientists and managers to use data, mathematics and computer science, along with environmental and social sciences to study, protect and manage ocean systems. Throughout this year, groups of students will work on projects that will have significant societal impacts and our group will be focusing on the Oregon Marine Reserves. Before the academic year begins we participated in the intensive field course (IFC) where all trainees stay at the Hatfield Marine Science Center for a week to learn about transdisciplinary research, the core concepts of the program: data (that happens to be big), coupled natural human systems, and risk and uncertainty. We also got to meet different stakeholders such as fishermen, scientists, economists, and an aquaculturist, as well as explore Newport and get to know the other students and faculty in the program.
The part that I enjoyed the most was the panel on the fourth day that was focused on the topic of "Alternative future scenarios for the marine place experiencing changing ocean conditions" where we heard different perspectives ranging from fisheries oceanography, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), psychology, sociology, and public policy. We had the privilege of having Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield on the panel who specializes in Indigenous TEK, tribal adaptations due to climate change, and Native culture issues. She spoke about her pathway into science and the many obstacles she faced along the way. But as she continued to tell her story, she didn't let anyone or thing deter her and kept on moving forward on her academic journey because she knew her ancestors were always with her and that this was something she was very passionate about. Hearing her speak brought tears to my eyes. Not because her story was sad, but because it was the inspiration I needed at the moment. I had just come back to Oregon after being home for 2 months, and it felt like I was moving all over again. But hearing her speak made me remember why I am here in Oregon and going to school. I do this so that I can get a degree and advance my field with the research I conduct because I enjoy what I do, BUT I also continue to move forward to show other islanders/underrepresented/disadvantaged students that you can do anything you put your mind too, to make my loved ones back home proud, to bring all that I have learned back to my island home, and so many more reasons. I definitely had a lot to learn about myself after that week and it was a really nice start to a new academic year. Click here to learn more about the OSU NRT program! Click here to read a blog written by Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield! Mahalo and Fa'afetai tele lava! \mn/ Jenn In of April, 2018 I was notified that I was awarded the very prestigious NSF graduate research fellowship! Tears of happiness streamed down my face as I read the email while on the phone with my best friend Rob who is back home in Hawai'i. This guy was laughing at me mind you because he had no doubt in his mind that I would get the fellowship (He doesn't understand how competitive this fellowship is). For the 2018 cycle there were 12,000 applicants and only 2,000 awards were offered. It honestly feels amazing to not worry about funding for three years (more like 2, and the last year I will apply for more fellowships while I finish my degree :P). And I am really excited to learn a lot more quantitative/statistical modeling skills to understand ocean processes, fish populations, and maybe even model plastics??? Who knows what the future holds! :D
If anyone is interested in applying to the NSF GRFP and wants to chat about it feel free to email me here! Mahalo and Fa'afetai tele lava! \mn/ (New way I'm going to start closing my blogs now) Jenn
During February 21-26, I will be attending the OSM in New Orleans, LA where I will be presenting my research in the Neuheimer Lab (title and abstract below). I am presenting my poster on Monday, February 22 from 4:00-6:00pm, so please feel free to stop by! Mahalo to the ASLO Multicultural Program for funding to attend the conference and all project collaborators! Title: The influence of life history variability on population connectivity: Development and application of a trait-based biophysical model of individuals.
Abstract: Connectivity estimates, which measure the exchange of individuals among populations, are necessary to create effective reserves for marine life. Connectivity can be influenced by a combination of biology (e.g. spawning time) and physics (e.g. currents). In the past a dispersal model was created in an effort to explain connectivity for the highly sought after reef fish Lau‘ipala (Yellow Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens) around Hawai‘i Island using physics alone, but this was shown to be insufficient. Here we created an individual based model (IBM) to describe Lau‘ipala life history and behavior forced with ocean currents and temperature (via coupling to a physical model) to examine biophysical interactions. The IBM allows for tracking of individual fish from spawning to settlement, and individual variability in modeled processes. We first examined the influence of different reproductive (e.g. batch vs. constant spawners), developmental (e.g. pelagic larval duration), and behavioral (e.g. active vs. passive buoyancy control) traits on modeled connectivity estimates for larval reef fish around Hawai‘i Island and compared results to genetic observations of parent-offspring pair distribution. Our model is trait-based which allows individuals to vary in life history strategies enabling mechanistic links between predictions and underlying traits and straightforward applications to other species and sites. On September 25, 2015 I was awarded the Best Oral Presentation Award by an Early Career Scientists at the 2015 ICES Annual Science Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark for my talk, "The influence of life history variability on population connectivity: Development and application of a trait-based biophysical model of individuals." Receiving this award is a great honor and getting the opportunity to travel to Europe and learn about their vast history was a great experience. I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Anna Neuheimer for all of her support and patience (she's just awesome), the C-MORE Scholars Program for funding this project and supporting me as a student and researcher, and the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) for providing me a travel scholarship to attend the conference.
Title: The influence of life history variability on population connectivity: Development and application of a trait-based biophysical model of individuals. Abstract: Population connectivity estimates are needed to characterize environmental forcing pathways on productivity and allow for the development of successful management strategies. Past efforts employing physical forcing alone to model connectivity among reef fish populations have often been shown to be insufficient. Here we develop new modeling tools that combine biological processes with physical forcing to predict larval fish distribution and resulting population connectivity over time and space. Our model is individual-based, tracking individual fish from spawning to settlement and allowing for the inclusion of biologically relevant stochasticity (individual variability) in modelled processes. Our model is also trait-based, allowing individuals to vary in life history strategies, and mechanistically linking the resulting variability in connectivity predictions to underlying traits. We employ this model to first examine the influence of different reproductive (e.g. batch vs. constant spawners), development (e.g. pelagic larval duration), and behavioral (e.g. active vs. passive buoyancy control) traits on modeled connectivity estimates for larval reef fish around Hawai'i Island. We then apply our model to estimate connectivity for a model species (lau'ipala or yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens) and compare results to genetic-based observations of parent-offspring pair distribution. During the month of February I got the opportunity to once again present my stream ecology research at the ERN Conference in Washington, D.C. This was another great conference where I got the chance to share my research with others, while also visiting the impressive and massive museums and monuments. Title: Stressed Out Streams: The Effects of Agriculture on Stream Nutrient Cycling Abstract: The conversion of forest into agricultural land is known to dramatically affect stream characteristics, including increased water temperature and reductions in organic matter inputs (e.g., woody debris). This study sought to assess the effects of reduced organic matter input on nutrient cycling in streams as mediated by microbial activity. We hypothesized that reductions in woody debris inputs associated with agricultural activity would decrease the cycling of nutrients, such as oxygen and nitrogen. Specifically, we predicted that decreases in organic matter inputs would decrease microbial activity. To test this prediction, we conducted a controlled experiment using streamside flow-through mesocosms within the secondary forest of the Las Cruces Biological Station in Coto Brus, Costa Rica. Treatments consisted of rock substrate or rock substrate with organic material including leaf litter and woody debris, which simulated agricultural and forested stream substrates, respectively. We estimated microbial activity by measuring the amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) in each stream channel. Our results show that decreases in organic matter decreased microbial activity, but only when microbial activity on both rock and organic substrate is considered. Our findings may also indicate that microbial communities may acclimate to disturbances in a short amount of time and this may be of interest to further work in agriculture and even urbanized streams. This month, I presented the research I conducted through the NAPIRE Program at the #SACNAS2014 National Conference in Los Angeles, CA. I also got the opportunity to spend time with my NAPIRE 'ohana (family) who went to the conference.
Title: Stressed Out Streams: The Effects of Agriculture on Stream Nutrient Cycling Abstract: The conversion of forest into agricultural land is known to dramatically affect stream characteristics, including increased water temperature and reductions in organic matter inputs (e.g., woody debris). This study sought to assess the effects of reduced organic matter input on nutrient cycling in streams as mediated by microbial activity. We hypothesized that reductions in woody debris inputs associated with agricultural activity would decrease the cycling of nutrients, such as oxygen and nitrogen. Specifically, we predicted that decreases in organic matter inputs would decrease microbial activity. To test this prediction, we conducted a controlled experiment using streamside flow-through mesocosms within the secondary forest of the Las Cruces Biological Station in Coto Brus, Costa Rica. Treatments consisted of rock substrate or rock substrate with organic material including leaf litter and woody debris, which simulated agricultural and forested stream substrates, respectively. We estimated microbial activity by measuring the amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) in each stream channel. Our results show that decreases in organic matter decreased microbial activity, but only when microbial activity on both rock and organic substrate is considered. Our findings may also indicate that microbial communities may acclimate to disturbances in a short amount of time and this may be of interest to further work in agriculture and even urbanized streams. |
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