Grace K. Saba

Major Advisors Top

Research statement

I am interested in the feeding ecology and nutrient regeneration of meso- and micro-zooplankton.  My dissertation research explores the release of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients from zooplankton feeding on a variety of prey items.  Field work for my research has ranged from Chesapeake Bay to Santa Barbara Channel to the Ross Sea, Antarctica.  These studies support part of the larger NSF Biocomplexity DOMINO project (Dissolved Organic Matter IN the Ocean) which is charged with the task of determining simultaneous release of dissolved organic matter (DOM) via leakage from phytoplankton, feeding and excretion of zooplankton, and viral lysis.  Additionally, I am also interested in grazing and nutrient release from zooplankton feeding on ecologically important harmful and toxic algal species in the Chesapeake Bay, a project which is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Research Experience Top

 
Field Experience Top

April 2006:           Santa Barbara Channel cruise (R/V Point Sur) for DOMINO project
April 2005:           Chesapeake Bay cruise (R/V Cape Henlopen) for DOMINO project
December 2004:   Ross Sea, Antarctica cruise (U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star) for Inter-annual Variability in the Ross Sea (IVARS) project
July 2004:            Chesapeake Bay cruise (R/V Cape Henlopen) for DOMINO project
June 2004:           Sargasso Sea cruise (R/V Oceanus) for EDdies, Dynamics, mIxing, Export, and Species composition (EDDIES) project
December 2002:   East Pacific Rise hydrothermal vent cruise (R/V New Horizon)
July 2002:            Santa Barbara Channel marine snow/open water diving cruise (R/V Point Sur)
December 2001:   East Pacific Rise hydrothermal vent cruise (R/V New Horizon)

Awards Top

Membership in ProfessionalSocieties Top

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Estuarine Research Federation

Publications Top

Steinberg, D.K. and G.K. Saba.  In press.  Nitrogen Consumption and Metabolism in Marine Zooplankton.  In: Capone, D.G., Bronk, D.A., Mulholland, M.R., and E.J. Carpenter, eds., Nitrogen in the Marine Environment, 2nd Edition.  Academic Press, New York.

Goldthwait, S.A., Carlson, C.A., Henderson, G.K., and A.L. Alldredge.  2005.  Effects of physical fragmentation on remineralization of marine snow.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 305:  59-65.

Presentations Top

Saba, G.K., Steinberg, D.K., and D.A. Bronk.  2008.  Grazing and nutrient release from Acartia tonsa copepods feeding on toxin-producing Karlodinium veneficum: Interactions of top-down and bottom-up control.  Talk presented at the Ocean Sciences meeting in Orlando, FL.

Price, L.M., Saba, G.K., and D.K. Steinberg.  2008.  Zooplankton grazing on two ecologically important harmful algal species in the Chesapeake Bay.  Poster presented at the Ocean Sciences meeting in Orlando, FL.

Saba, G.K. and D.K. Steinberg.  2007.  The impacts of carnivorous feeding by Acartia copepods on production of dissolved organic matter (DOM).  Talk presented at the ASLO meeting in Santa Fe, NM.

Henderson, G.K., D.K. Steinberg, and D.A. Bronk.  2006.  Dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition and release rates from meso- and micro-zooplankton grazers in the Chesapeake Bay:  Implications of prey type.  Talk presented at the Ocean Sciences meeting in Honolulu, HI.

Bronk, D.A., W.O. Smith, Q. Roberts, C. Carlson, G. Henderson, D. Steinberg, M. Sanderson, E. Wommack, D. Repeta, and W. Bronk.  2006.  Influence of grazing and viral infection on the production of dissolved organic matter.  Talk presented at the Ocean Sciences meeting in Honolulu, HI.

Shields, A.R., G.K. Henderson, J.C. Dreyer, W.O. Smith, and D.K. Steinberg.  2006. Microzooplankton composition, grazing, and nutrient regeneration in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.  Poster presented at the ASLO/AGU Ocean Sciences meeting in Honolulu, HI.

Bronk, D., D. Steinberg, W.O. Smith, C. Carlson, E. Wommack, D. Repeta, R. Hood, G. Henderson, A. Cano, and Q. Roberts.  2005.  Quantification and modeling of DOC and DON release in marine systems:  A study of increasing trophic complexity.  Poster presented at the Biocomplexity in the Environment 2005 Awardees Meeting in Arlington,VA.

Henderson, G.K., D.K. Steinberg and D.A. Bronk.  2005.  The role of mesozooplankton and microzooplankton grazers in the production of dissolved organic matter (DOM).  Poster presented at the ERF meeting in Norfolk, VA.