Jessica Zaiss
NASA Postdoctoral Researcher
Biography
As an oceanographer, Jessica Zaiss investigates the intricate biophysical interactions that govern phytoplankton growth and biomass accumulation in marine ecosystems. Her research utilizes high-resolution physical ocean models combined with phytoplankton biology models to examine how phytoplankton dynamics respond to fine-scale environmental changes driven by physical processes such as ocean currents and mixing. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical cycling, including the uptake and release of carbon dioxide in the ocean. This knowledge contributes to our understanding of the global carbon cycle and its implications for climate change.
Education
- Ph.D, Earth Science, University of Southern California
- M.S, Geochemistry, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
- B.S. Chemical Engineering (Minors: Math, German), Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Professional Experience
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Postdoctoral Program recipient (present)
- University of Southern California, Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant (2015-2024)
- Texas A&M University, Graduate Research Assistant (2014-2015)
- Texas A&M University, Assistant Director of Recruitment for College of Geoscience, (2014-2015)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant (2011-2014)
Community Service
Jessica Zaiss volunteers at the National Search Dog Foundation where shelter dogs are transformed into disaster response dogs.
Research Interests
Jessica Zaiss is interested in how submesoscale ocean dynamics influence phytoplankton growth and biomass accumulation. Vertical advection creates variability in light, temperature, and nutrient availability, leading to complex, nonlinear phytoplankton growth patterns. Additionally, physical processes like advection and mixing directly impact biomass concentrations. She aimes to quantify the relative contributions of these various processes to overall phytoplankton growth dynamics across a range of spatial (1-100km) and temporal (days to decades) scales.
Selected Awards
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, 2024-2026 ( JPL)
- Best Student Poster Award, National Atmospheric Deposition Program Annual Meeting, Fall 2016
- Departmental Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for General Education
- Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Fall 2017 (since discontinued, USC)
- NSF S-STEM Scholarship, 2014-2015 Academic year (TAMU)
- ODASES Graduate Fellowship 2014-2016 (TAMU)
- Fred M. Bullard Fellowship, 2013 (UHM)
Selected Publications
- J. Zaiss, Menemenlis, D., Carroll, D., Levine, N.M., in prep A Lagrangian Lens on Biophysical Interactions in the California Current System
- J. Zaiss, Menemenlis, D., Carroll, D., Levine, N.M., in prep Differences between Lagrangian and Eulerian variability and submesoscale feature interaction the California Current System
- J. Zaiss., Boyd, P. W., Doney, S. C., Havenhand, J. N., & Levine, N. M. (2021). Impact of Lagrangian sea surface temperature variability on Southern Ocean phytoplankton community growth rates. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 35, e2020GB006880.
- J. Zaiss, G. Ravizza, P. Claeys, S. Goderis, J. Sauvage, K. Johnson (2014) A complete Os excursion across a terrestrial Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary at the West Bijou Site, Colorado, with evidence for recent open system behavior, Chemical Geology, 385: 7-16