Melissa M. Omand
06/30/2013
momand@whoi.edu
Postdoctoral Investigator
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Department for Physical Oceanography
Clark Laboratory, WHOI, MS 29
Woods Hole, MA 02543
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Physical Oceanography, 2004-2011
IGERT associate, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, 2005-2011
BSc. Honors in Physics, University of Guelph, 1999-2003
POSITIONS HELD
2011 (June-present) Postdoctoral Investigator; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Woods Hole, MA. Advisor: Dr. Amala Mahadevan, Physical Oceanography Department.
2011 (Mar-May) Postdoctoral Associate; Boston University, Boston, MA.
Advisor: Dr. Amala Mahadevan, Department of Earth Sciences.
2004-2011 Graduate Research Assistant; Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, La
Jolla CA. Integrative Oceanography Division.
Co-advisor: Dr. Falk Feddersen, Integrative Oceanography Division.
Co-advisor: Dr. Peter J.S. Franks, Integrative Oceanography Division.
2003-2004 Laboratory Technician and programmer; University of Guelph, Guelph Ont.
Canada. Physics Dept. Advisor: Dr. Iain L. Campbell, Physics Department.
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Omand, M.M, Feddersen, F., Guza, R.T. and Franks, P.J.S. (2012) Episodic vertical nutrient
fluxes and nearshore phytoplankton blooms in Southern California. Limnology and
Oceanography, 57(6) p. 1673-1688.
Omand, M.M, Leichter, J.L., Franks, P.J.S., Guza, R.T., Lucas, A.J., and Feddersen, F. (2011).
Physical and Biological processes underlying the sudden appearance of a red-tide
patch in the nearshore. Limnology and Oceanography, 56(3) p. 787-801.
Omand, M.M, Feddersen, F., Clark, D.B., Franks, P.J.S., Leichter, J.L., and Guza, R.T. (2009)
The influence of bubbles and sand on Chlorophyll-a fluorescence measurements in the
surfzone. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 7 p. 354-362.
Clark, D.B., Feddersen, F., Omand, M.M and Guza, R.T. (2009). Measuring fluorescent dye
in the bubbly and sediment laden surfzone. Water, Soil and Air Pollution, 204(1-4) p. 103115.
Omand, M.M, Campbell, J.L. and Maxwell, J.A. (2005) Simulation of the relationship
between element concentrations and X-ray yields in the Mars Exploration Rover's Xray spectrometer. Nucl. InstrumMeth. In Phys. Research B229 123-136.
PAPERS SUBMITTED
Omand, M.M. and Mahadevan, A., Large-scale alignment of oceanic nitrate and density.
(submitted to JGR: Oceans, accepted pending minor revisions)
PAPERS IN PREPARATION
Omand, M.M., Mahadevan, A., Briggs, N.A., Lee, C., D’Asaro, E. and Perry, M.J. F Eddydriven subduction of particulate organic carbon during the North Atlantic Spring Bloom.
Omand, M.M. and Mahadevan, A., The shape of the Oceanic Nitracline.
Omand, M.M., Govindarajan. R. and Mahadevan, A. Revisiting the Martin Curve; particle
sizes and densities in a stratified water column.
Omand, M.M., Johnsson, B., Salisbury, J. and Mahadevan, A. Timescales of variance in
satellite ocean color and SST.
Morrison, G., Omand, M.M., Mahadevan L. and Mahadevan, A. Interpreting
phytoplankton observations with network and community-detection methods.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Edna Bailey Sussman Internship (2009)
California Sea Grant Traineeship (2008-present)
California Sea Grant Traineeship (2006-2008)
California Sea Grant Isaacs Scholar Fund for undergraduate assistance (2007)
Edna Bailey Sussman Internship (2006)
Outstanding Student Paper Award: American Geophysical Union (2006)
University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship (1999-2001)
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND INVITED TALKS
Eddy-Driven Subduction of Particulate Carbon during the North Atlantic Spring Bloom.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Woods Hole MA. 2013 (talk). University of Rhode
Island, Kingston RI. 2013 (talk). Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. 2012 (talk). Hopkins
Marine Station, Monterey, CA. 2012 (talk).
Episodic nutrient fluxes and nearshore phytoplankton blooms. Eastern Pacific Ocean
Conference (EPOC), Fort Hood, OR 2012. (oral presentation)
Determining timescales of variability of chlorophyll and temperature from satellite data.
Ocean Carbon Biogeochemistry (OCB) meeting, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Woods Hole, MA 2012. (poster presentation)
Carbon Export in the North Atlantic: Subduction versus sinking flux. University of
Massachusetts: Dartmouth seminar series hosted by the Dept. of Marine Science and
Technology Dartmouth, MA 2012. (talk)
Vertical structure of chlorophyll, nitrate flux and productivity from the Cariaco Basin time
series: Implications for interpreting satellite ocean color. Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt
Lake City, UT 2012. (oral presentation)
Physical controls on episodic nearshore phytoplankton blooms in Southern California.
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI. 2012 (talk). University of Rhode Island,
Kingston, RI 2011. (talk), and at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
2011. (talk)
Physical and biological processes underlying the sudden appearance of a red tide
surface patch in the nearshore. California and the World Oceans conference. San
Francisco, CA: 2010. (oral presentation)
Evidence of in situ dinoflagellate swimming behavior? Preliminary observations from
Imperial Beach CA. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Portland,
Oregon: 2010. (poster presentation)
Internal Wave-Driven Patches of Red Tide in the Nearshore and Surfzone. Gordon
Research Conference: Coastal Ocean Processes, New London, NH: 2009 (poster
presentation)
Field observations of nonphotochemical quenching. International Meeting of Students in
Physical Oceanography, University of California, San Diego: 2008. (oral presentation)
An integrated perspective on biophysical dynamics: From the nearshore to the surfzone.
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Orlando, Florida: 2008. (oral
presentation)
Science with a jetski: New observations of phytoplankton in shallow water. Centro de
Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico: 2008.
(talk)
Chlorophyll Fluorescence near the shoreline: Connections with waves and wave-driven
currents. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA: 2006. (oral presentation)
REASERCH FUNDING
Eddy-Driven Subduction of Particulate Carbon During the North Atlantic Spring Bloom
(01/2013 – 01/2014. $235,893). Co-PI: Amala Mahadevan. This study combines a broad
set of autonomous and ship-based bio-physical observations with process-oriented
submesoscale ocean modeling (PSOM), to explore the contribution of intense, localized
eddy-driven subduction of organic matter to carbon export in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Patch Dynamics of Nutrients, Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Chlorophyll near the Tijuana
River (work complete). Funding source: California Sea Grant. PIs: F. Feddersen, P.J.S.
Franks and R.T. Guza). This investigation involved simultaneous, high-resolution surface
and vertical surveys of bio-optical and physical properties in a nearshore, beach
environment, to improve understanding of the physical-biological dynamics underlying
the intense and episodic nearshore red tides. Funding was also competitively obtained
to support two undergraduate students on John D. Isaacs research assistant grants.
TEACHING AND MENTORING EXPERIENCE
Fluid Dynamics (MAE 110A), Teaching Assistant (UCSD)
Physics for the Biological Sciences (PHYS 1070), Teaching Assistant (University of Guelph)
Supervisor of undergraduate interns (summer 2007, 2008, 2009) and experiment
volunteers (fall, 2009)
Advisor to two UCSD undergraduates for a 199 independent study course (Fall 2009 and
Winter 2010) and for the 4th year project for a UCSD Environmental Systems major (Fall
2009, Winter and Spring 2010)
COMPUTING, LABORATORY AND FIELD SKILLS
Matlab, Vapor 3D visualization, Numerical modeling with the Process Study Ocean Model
(PSOM), Phytoplankton fixation and microscope identification, Fluid Imaging FlowCam,
Experience with a broad variety of field instrumentation; in particular: WetLabs optical
sensors, Nortek ADCPs, Seabird CTDs, Satlantic ISUS, Ocean Enterprises Wirewalkers.
FIELD AND SEA EXPERIENCE
New River Experiment (NC12), New River Inlet, NC (2 weeks, Spring 2012)
Imperial Beach Experiment (IB09), Imperial Beach, CA (2 months, Summer 2009)
Bi-weekly phytoplankton collection, Imperial Beach, CA (4 months, Summer 2008)
Huntington Beach Experiment (HB06), Huntington Beach, CA (2 months, Summer 2006)
Scientific Diving Certification (100’ depth rating), American Academy of Underwater
Sciences (2006-2011)
R/V Roger Revelle: Honolulu, HI (5/2006, 7 days)
COURSES ATTENDED
2011 (July) Ocean Optics summer course at the University of Maine.
2010 (October) Advanced school on complexity, adaptation and Emergence in Marine
Ecosystems at the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy.
SERVICE AND AFFILIATIONS
Physical Oceanography student curricular representative, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, 2006 & 2007
Association Memberships
American Geophysical Union
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography