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Olivia Cheriton

Oceanographer, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

I am a physical oceanographer who studies waves, hydrodynamics, and transport processes in coral reef environments. I also have expertise in internal waves and water-column dynamics. I use direct measurements to answer questions about how physical processes -across a range of temporal and spatial scales- affect coastal ecosystems, and to investigate how these patterns might alter with climate change.

Research Interests

  • Waves, hydrodynamics, and transport processes in coral reef environments

  • Effects of climate change on coastal physical and biological processes

  • Coastal ocean physical processes and effects on nearshore ecosystems

  • Internal tides and nonlinear internal waves over continental shelves

  • Fine-scale gradients in biological and suspended particulate material

Professional Experience

  • 2012-present: Oceanographer, USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program

  • 2011-2012: Postdoctoral Researcher, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

  • 2010-2011: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California at Santa Cruz

  • 2008-2012: Postdoctoral Researcher, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), University of California at Santa Cruz

  • 2008: Teaching Assistant & Lecturer, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) Summer Course “Coastal Physical Oceanography and Marine Ecosystems,” University of California Santa Cruz