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Jennifer McClain-Counts

Jennifer McClain-Counts is a Biologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. 

Jennie McClain-Counts is a biologist and laboratory manager for the Benthic Ecology laboratory. She works with Amanda Demopoulos to examine trophic relationships, particularly using stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen, and community structure of marine fauna collected in various habitats, such as wetlands, offshore wrecks and deep-sea corals. 

Education and Certifications

  • M.S., Marine Science, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, 2010

    B.S., Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, 2006

     

Science and Products

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Image shows R/V FAlkor Underway

Seeking the Seeps

From June 12 to July 3, 2019, the USGS sailed onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor with several other partners, seeking methane seeps along the seafloor of several underwater canyons off the coast of Oregon and Washington. On this cruise, USGS scientists will seek to understand how much methane is coming out of these seeps, how it travels through the water column, and its ultimate fate in...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
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Seeking the Seeps

From June 12 to July 3, 2019, the USGS sailed onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor with several other partners, seeking methane seeps along the seafloor of several underwater canyons off the coast of Oregon and Washington. On this cruise, USGS scientists will seek to understand how much methane is coming out of these seeps, how it travels through the water column, and its ultimate fate in...
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Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013

Terrain variables extracted from bathymetry were used in combination with stable isotope datasets to construct geospatially-explicit isoscapes that predicted variation in carbon and nitrogen isotopes across the canyon-slope seascape, providing insights into the distribution and flow of energy resources, relevant to understanding whole community function.
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals

Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in temperature,
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Isotope data from Shimada 2018 research expedition

Stable isotope data of fauna, particulate organic matter, and rocks collected during the 2018 research cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada that examined benthic communities off the western U.S. coast.
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Abundance, density, habitat placement and behaviors of Eumunida picta in the western Atlantic off the southeastern U.S. coastline from 2000-2009

Data on the abundance, density, habitat placement and behaviors of Eumunida picta observed from analyzed videos recorded during submersible dives from 2000-2009 in the western Atlantic off the southern U.S. coastline.
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Stable isotope and video observational data from the RL1905 EXPRESS expedition in 2019

Data to support the site characterization of locations sampled along the continental shelf and slope of the western U.S. coast off Washington, Oregon and California during the EXPRESS RL1905 expedition in 2019. Data consisted of tissue samples from fauna, sediments and particulate organic matter. These samples were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to examine food web ecology. Addit
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Soil surface elevation change and vertical accretion data to support the Fruit Farm Creek Mangrove Restoration Project (Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Marco Island, Florida)

These data represent surface elevation change and vertical accretion time series collected from a series of degraded tidal wetland sites near Goodland, Florida, USA. Surface elevation was measured using a combination of rod surface elevation tables (SETs) and feldspar marker horizons. Here, we document mangrove forest and soil structural changes within transects established in tidally restricted a
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Stable isotopic insights into Bathymodiolus childressi at two seeps in the US Atlantic margin, data release

Chemosynthetic environments support distinct benthic communities capable of utilizing reduced chemical compounds for nutrition. Hundreds of methane seeps have been documented along the U.S. Atlantic margin (USAM), and detailed investigations at a few seeps have revealed distinct environments containing mussels, microbial mats, authigenic carbonates, and soft sediments. The dominant mussel Bathymod
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Data release for Food-web structure canyon- and slope-associated fauna revealed by stable isotopes

The primary objective of this study was to assess deepsea food web structure and trophic niches in Baltimore and Norfolk canyons, the adjacent slopes, and chemosynthetic seeps along the mid-Atlantic margin using stable isotope analyses (SIA) and isotope niche width analysis. We hypothesized that the isotopic compositions of canyon versus slope fauna would be distinct, given differences in the phys
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Baseline data for a hydrological restoration of a mangrove forest near Goodland, Florida (2015 - 2017)

Mangrove restoration has a strong potential to enhance the services provided by coastal wetlands on a number of Department of the Interior (DOI) managed lands throughout the southeastern United States of America. Services include storm protection, water quality improvement, and biological carbon sequestration. Forest structural attributes including basal area, tree height, and stem density by spec
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses

Mesopelagic fishes represent an important component of the marine food web due to their global distributions, high abundances and ability to transport organic material throughout a large part of the water column. This study combined stable isotope (SIA) and gut content analyses (GCA) to characterize the trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the north central Gulf of Mexico. Additionally this
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Food-web dynamics and isotopic niches in deep-sea communities residing in a submarine canyon and on the adjacent open slopes

Examination of food webs and trophic niches provide insight into organisms functional ecology, yet few studies have examined the trophodynamics within submarine canyons, where the interaction of morphology and oceanography influences food deposition. Stable isotope analysis and Bayesian ellipses documented deep-sea food web structure and trophic niches in Baltimore Canyon and the adjacent open slo
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Image shows two sea urchins with the ocean in the background
Red Sea Urchins
Red Sea Urchins
Image shows two sea urchins with the ocean in the background

Red Sea Urchins

Red Sea Urchins

Two red sea urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) sit on the deck of the R/V Falkor. These sea urchins were collected during the #HuntingBubbles research cruise led by the USGS and Schmidt Ocean Institute, which focused on exploring and understanding methane seeps and the communities that depend on them along the Cascadia Margin.

By
Ecosystems, Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Environments Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Image shows two sea urchins with the ocean in the background

Red Sea Urchins

Red Sea Urchins

Two red sea urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) sit on the deck of the R/V Falkor. These sea urchins were collected during the #HuntingBubbles research cruise led by the USGS and Schmidt Ocean Institute, which focused on exploring and understanding methane seeps and the communities that depend on them along the Cascadia Margin.

By
Ecosystems, Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Environments Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 17

Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes

The deep sea is the largest biome on earth, but one of the least studied despite its critical role in global carbon cycling and climate buffering. Deep-sea organisms largely rely on particulate organic matter from the surface ocean for energy – these organisms in turn play critical roles in energy transport, transformation, storage, and sequestration of carbon. Within the deep sea, submarine canyo
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Brian J. Smith, Jill Bourque, Jason Chaytor, Jennifer McClain Counts, Nancy G. Prouty, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Gerard Duineveld, Furu Mienis
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau
Authors
Erik E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis M. Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau
Authors
Erick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, Caitlin Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Eastern Ecological Science Center

Habitat utilization, demography, and behavioral observations of the squat lobster, Eumunida picta (Crustacea: Anomura: Eumunididae), on western North Atlantic deep-water coral habitats

Deep-sea coral habitats, comprising mostly Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus 1758), are well developed on the upper and middle continental slope off the southeastern United States (SEUS). These habitats support a diverse and abundant invertebrate fauna, yet ecology and biology of most of these species are poorly known. Ten cruises conducted off the SEUS (Summer–Fall; Cape Lookout, NC–Cape Canaveral, FL)
Authors
Martha S. Nizinski, Jennifer McClain Counts, Steve W. Ross
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

A characterization of the deep-sea coral and sponge community along the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts using a remotely operated vehicle on the EXPRESS 2019 expedition

NOAA’s Deep-Sea Coral Research Technology Program (DSCRTP) began a 4-year funding initiative for the U.S. West Coast in 2018. The goals of the West Coast Deep-Sea Coral Initiative were to: 1) gather baseline information on DSCS in areas subject to fishing regulation changes prior to the implementation of Amendment 28; 2) improve our understanding of known DSCS bycatch “hot spots”; and 3) explore a
Authors
Tom Laidig, Diana Watters, Nancy G. Prouty, Meredith Everett, Lizzie Duncan, Liz Clarke, Chris Caldow, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Amanda Demopoulos
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Potential for carbon and nitrogen sequestration by restoring tidal connectivity and enhancing soil surface elevations in denuded and degraded south Florida mangrove ecosystems

Mangroves are tidally dependent wetlands that are influenced often by alterations in hydrology associated with coastal developments that impact their distribution, health, and function. Alteration in frequency, depth, duration, and seasonality of tidal inundation can lead to changes in forest condition, although these stress-adapted ecosystems may persist for many years before succumbing to mortal
Authors
N. Cormier, Ken Krauss, Amanda Demopoulos, Brita J. Jessen, Jennifer McClain Counts, Andrew From, Laura L. Flynn
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Examination of Bathymodiolus childressi nutritional sources, isotopic niches, and food-web linkages at two seeps in the US Atlantic margin using stable isotope analysis and mixing models

Chemosynthetic environments support distinct benthic communities capable of utilizing reduced chemical compounds for nutrition. Hundreds of methane seeps have been documented along the U.S. Atlantic margin (USAM), and detailed investigations at a few seeps have revealed distinct environments containing mussels, microbial mats, authigenic carbonates, and soft sediments. The dominant mussel, Bathymo
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Jennifer McClain Counts, Jill Bourque, Nancy Prouty, Brian Smith, Sandra Brooke, Steve W. Ross, Carolyn Ruppel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Assemblage structure, vertical distributions and stable‐isotope compositions of anguilliform leptocephali in the Gulf of Mexico

In August 2007, October 2008 and September–October 2010, 241 Tucker trawl and plankton net tows were conducted at the surface to depths of 1377 m at six locations in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) to document leptocephalus diversity and determine how assemblage structure, larval size, abundance and isotopic signatures differ across the region and with depth. Overall, 2696 leptocepha
Authors
Andrea M. Quattrini, Jennifer McClain Counts, Stephen J. Artabane, Adela Roa-Varon, Tara C. McIver, Michael Rhode, Steve W. Ross
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Ghost forests of Marco Island: Mangrove mortality driven by belowground soil structural shifts during tidal hydrologic alteration

Land use changes often create in situ stress and eventual mortality in mangroves as unsuitable hydroperiods are created through tidal flow alterations. Here, we document mangrove forest and soil structural changes within transects established in tidally restricted areas on Marco Island (Collier County, Florida, USA), which has broad swaths of dead-standing or unhealthy mangroves (“ghost forests”).
Authors
Ken W. Krauss, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Nicole Cormier, Andrew From, Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Roy R. Lewis
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Deepwater Program: Lophelia II, continuing ecological research on deep-sea corals and deep-reef habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

The deep sea is a rich environment composed of diverse habitat types. While deep-sea coral habitats have been discovered within each ocean basin, knowledge about the ecology of these habitats and associated inhabitants continues to grow. This report presents information and results from the Lophelia II project that examined deep-sea coral habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. The Lophelia II project foc
Authors
Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Steve W. Ross, Christina A. Kellogg, Cheryl L. Morrison, Martha S. Nizinski, Nancy G. Prouty, Jill R. Bourque, Julie P. Galkiewicz, Michael A. Gray, Marcus J. Springmann, D. Katharine Coykendall, Andrew Miller, Mike Rhode, Andrea Quattrini, Cheryl L. Ames, Sandra D. Brooke, Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, E. Brendan Roark, Noreen A. Buster, Ryan M. Phillips, Janessy Frometa
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Food-web dynamics and isotopic niches in deep-sea communities residing in a submarine canyon and on the adjacent open slopes

Examination of food webs and trophic niches provide insights into organisms' functional ecology, yet few studies have examined trophodynamics within submarine canyons, where the interaction of canyon morphology and oceanography influences habitat provision and food deposition. Using stable isotope analysis and Bayesian ellipses, we documented deep-sea food-web structure and trophic niches in Balti
Authors
Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Jennifer McClain-Counts, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Furu Mienis
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses

Mesopelagic fishes represent an important component of the marine food web due to their global distributions, high abundances and ability to transport organic material throughout a large part of the water column. This study combined stable isotope (SIAs) and gut content analyses (GCAs) to characterize the trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, th
Authors
Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Steve W. Ross
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Ross SW, Quattrini AM, Roa-Varon AY, McClain JP. 2010. Species composition and distributions of mesopelagic fishes over the slope of the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Deep-sea Research II 57: 1926-1956.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

New USGS-led Research Sheds Light on Deep-Sea Food Webs

New USGS-led Research Sheds Light on Deep-Sea Food Webs

Deep-sea organisms, dwelling in complete darkness and dependent on nutrients from the surface, play pivotal roles in the transport, transformation...

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