Faculty

Grace Saba

Assistant Professor
Center for Ocean Observing Leadership
Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

saba@marine.rutgers.edu

848-932-3466
71 Dudley Rd,  New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Room 309D
Full CV
Two Page CV

I initiate diverse, multidisciplinary projects in order to address both small-scale (individual organism) and large-scale (whole ecosystem) questions with ecological, physiological, and biogeochemical implications. My broad research interests are in the fields of coastal marine organismal ecology and physiology, with emphasis on how organisms interact with their environment (physical-biological coupling) and other organisms (food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions), how physiological processes impact biogeochemistry (nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration), and how climate change (i.e., ocean acidification, warming) impacts these processes. I apply multiple techniques and collaborate with physical/biological/chemical oceanographers and physiologists, molecular ecologists, fisheries scientists, ocean observers, and climate modelers. I employ an integrative, mechanistic approach and have strong laboratory and field components in my research.

Graduate Students

Lauren Cook

PhD Student

Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

lcook@marine.rutgers.edu

Broadly, I am interested in fish and fisheries ecology – how fish operate in their respective ecosystems, and how fisheries impacts their role. I am currently developing a baseline quantification of the contribution of small pelagic fish (SPFs) to marine carbon cycling. My goal is to form the first full, quantitative profile of carbon byproducts, namely fecal pellets and calcium carbonate, for commercially important SPFs on the US Northeast Shelf. By creating these profiles, I can investigate how SPFs have contributed to carbon export over their fished histories. In the future, I want to apply this framework to mesopelagic fish, the last untapped source of protein on our planet, to better understand their contribution to the biological pump before they are commercially exploited.

Teemer Barry

PhD Student

Co-Advised by Oscar Schofield

Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

teemer.barry@marine.rutgers.edu

I am primarily interested in investigating how changes in biological oceanography occur in response to physical gradient changes over time. My current research focuses on how phytoplankton and zooplankton regimes are driven by changes in coastal ocean conditions like irregular temperatures, wind turbulence, and dissolved oxygen across multiple years. As my research continues, I hope to master remote sensing data use and autonomous submersible instrumentation.

Jake Kuenzli

PhD Student

Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

jacob.kuenzli@marine.rutgers.edu

I graduated from College of Charleston in 2023 with a B.S. in marine biology. My research interests involve investigating the ecological and behavioral response of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) to changing ocean conditions such as rising temperatures. My work involves historical data analysis, predictive modeling, and acoustic telemetry.

Previous Post-Doctoral Research Associates

  • Jessica Valenti, 2020-2022
  • Corie Charpentier, 2017-2018

Previous Graduate Students

  • Emily Slesinger
  • Liza Wright-Fairbanks

Previous Undergraduate Students

  • Brandon Grosso
  • Laura Wiltsee
  • Kasey Walsh
  • Rachel Young, Rutgers
  • Catherine Powell, Rutgers
  • Bekah Lane, Emporia State University
  • Gabrielle Quadrado, Federal University of Rio Grande (Brazil)
  • Monisha Sugla, Rutgers
  • Oliver Ho, Rutgers
  • Ryan Fantasia, Rutgers
  • Grace Coogan, Occidental College
  • Emily Pirl, Rutgers
  • Amelia Snow, Rutgers
  • Miram Gleiber, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
  • Lori Garzio, Virginia Institute of Marine Science