ABOUT US
In the Coastal Biogeochemical Dynamics Laboratory in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Connecticut we use models to study ocean processes, coastal biogeochemistry, better understand the impacts of changing biogeochemical cycles on local ecosystems, and understand future scenarios. We see models as tools to integrate observations and theory. Our interests include:
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Understanding the role of the coastal ocean in global biogeochemical cycles
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Determining what governs spatial variability of hypoxia and ocean acidification
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How will those governing processes change in the future ocean
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Understanding predictability of ocean health measures important to fisheries
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Quantifying exposure to hypoxia and ocean acidification for vulnerable ecosystems now and in the future ocean
Looking for motivated, hard working group members – email Samantha Siedlecki for more information. Please include your CV (resume) with prior research and educational experience information and make sure to follow up with me if you don't hear back from me right away. If you are interested in graduate school, learn more about how to compose an email to a potential advisor in this blog and about our department's application process here.
As an oceanographer, Samantha focuses on coastal regions where she investigates and identifies processes within that environment responsible for the biogeochemical dynamics in both the modern and future oceans.
Halle Berger
PhD Student
Halle worked on a vulnerability assessment for Dungeness crab to changing ocean conditions in Washington and Oregon waters for her masters. She used a literature review, regional ocean model projections, and larval transport models to score the consequence, exposure, and vulnerability of crab life stages to present and future low pH, low oxygen, and high temperature conditions on seasonal and annual timescales. She received her MS in 2020 and she plans to extend this approach along with new tools to sea scallops on the Atlantic coast of the US as part of her PhD. She is also a former Knauss Fellow.
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Halle is co-advised by Catherine Matassa
Ludivine Conte
Postdoctoral researcher
Ludivine has received training in both the United States and Europe. She is well versed on ecosystem and biogeochemical modeling at various scales. At UConn, she is working on the RVA project helping to update the DEB model developed by Halle Berger to be used for seasonal forecasting, forecast mortality, and help inform the fishery on seasonal/interannual timescales.
Yifan Zhu
Postdoctoral researcher
Yifan has received training in both the United States and China, specializing in the nitrogen biogeochemistry within Estuaries and Marginal Seas. She is learning and utilizing ROMS (LiveOcean) model to characterize the trends and spatial patterns of biogeochemical variables, including oxygen, carbon, nutrients, phytoplankton described as multi-stressors, respond to climate change in the marine environments along the Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State coastlines. Yifan collaborates with scientists from NOAA-PMEL, University of Washington, and Oregon State University for her research.
Kelly Sauter and Manda Allen
Undergraduate Students
Several marine science majors as well as other undergraduates are working in our lab. Both are working on evaluating regional models with observations, visualizing model output, and updating our websites.
Hung Nguyen
PhD Student
Hung is working on simulating oxygen for the northwest Atlantic shelves. He is working with a team at GFDL and Rutgers on implementing a regional downscaled climate projection of biogeochemical conditions for the northwest Atlantic shelves using MOM6. Using local data sets collected in the region he is evaluating the oxygen fields in this new simulation. He plans to investigate the spatial evolution and decadal trends in oxygen in the region.
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Madi Sobol
PhD Student
Madi graduated in 2024 from Arizona State University with an environmental chemistry degree. She is interested in understanding how biogeochemical processes change alongside ocean acidification. She will be working with a team at URI to investigate a potential alkalinity enhancement method through terrestrial liming as a mechanism for mCDR. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking and water sports!
Julia Lara Navarrette
PhD Student
Julia graduated with a degree in Oceanography from UABC in Mexico. Julia is working on developing biological indicators within the J-SCOPE system. ​​
Trinity Mink
MS Student
Trinity graduated from our Marine Science program with a double major in Computer Science. Now, Trinity works on evaluating the seasonal forecast system for the NWA shelf with fisherman-derived observations and extending those records to carbon variables.
Felipe Soares
Research Assistant
Felipe is an oceanographer with decades of experience in the private sector setting up regional simulations as a consultant. He works on many if not all the projects in the lab supporting research activities broadly.
Partial group photo during the Feng Symposium in May 2023
Former Lab Members
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Zhuomin Chen (former research scientist), now at GMRI
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Sarah Roberts (former undergraduate researcher) now doing her MS at UConn
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Alexandra Frenzel, MS 2025, current graduate student at UConn in Tobias lab.
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Brendan Goulette (former undergraduate researcher)
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Annette Carlson, MS 2022
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Rebha Raviraj (former undergraduate researcher)
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Kelly McGarry, MS 2021
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Mackenzie Blanusa (former undergraduate researcher), MS from UConn in 2024, current grad student at Lamont -Doherty in NY
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Sulagna Ray (former postdoctoral associate), Global coupled model developer, NOAA/EMC/NCWCP
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Shaina Harkins (former undergraduate researcher), graduate student at URI