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My career goal is to continue to do novel biological oceanographic research and educate the next generation of oceanographers. Whether this occurs in at a research university, liberal arts college, government laboratory, or private industry is less important to me than the quality of the work and people involved. I feel research and education are inextricably linked, and I plan to continue to do both in my career.

I am a biological oceanographer, specializing in zooplankton ecology in estuaries and coastal regions. My particular interest is in how the behavior of zooplankton individuals and affect population dynamics within an ecosystem. Much of my work has focused on marine copepods, in the context of the entire pelagic food web. However, I am broadly interested in all crustacean zooplankton, including holoplanktonic and meroplanktonic organisms.  Despite my focus, I study these organisms in the context of the ecosystem, and therefore attempt to link the behaviors and population dynamics to other populations that may have a trophic interaction with the zooplankton of interest.

Aquatic ecology, biological oceanography, zooplankton ecology, specifically:

• Trophic dynamics of zooplankton and their predators and prey
• How the life histories of zooplankton respond to environmental and climatic changes
• Combining in situ data with numerical model results to link individuals’ behaviors to population dynamics and structure

Pierson, J. J., M. R. Roman, D. G. Kimmel, W. C. Boicourt, & X. Zhang. 2009. Quantifying changes in the vertical distribution of mesozooplankton in response to hypoxic bottom waters. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 381: S74-S79. doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2009.07.013

Kimmel, D. G., W. C. Boicourt, J. J. Pierson, M. R. Roman, & X. Zhang. 2009. A comparison of the mesozooplankton response to hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay and the northern Gulf of Mexico using the biomass size spectrum. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 381: S65-S73. doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2009.07.012

Pierson, J. J., B. W. Frost, D. Thoreson, A. W. Leising, J. R. Postel, & M. Nuwer. 2009. Trapping migrating zooplankton. Limnology and Oceanography Methods 7(5): 334-346. (Click for Open Access PDF)

Pierson, J. J., B. W. Frost, and A. W. Leising. 2007. The lost generation of Calanus pacificus: Is the diatom effect responsible? Limnology and Oceanography 52(5): 2089-2098. (Click for Open Access PDF)

Bucklin, A., P. H. Wiebe, S. B. Smolenack, N. J. Copley, J. G. Beaudet, K. G. Bonner, J. Farber-Lorda, and J. J. Pierson. 2007. DNA barcodes for species identification of euphausiids (Euphausiacea, Crustacea). Journal of Plankton Research 29(6): 483-493. doi:10.1093/plankt/fbm031

Leising, A. W., J. J. Pierson, S. Cary, and B. W. Frost. 2005. Copepod foraging and predation risk within the surface layer during night-time feeding forays. Journal of Plankton Research 27(10): 987-1001. doi:10.1093/plankt/fbi084

Pierson, J. J., A. W. Leising, and C. Halsband Lenk. 2005. Reproductive success of Calanus pacificus during diatom blooms in Dabob Bay, WA. Progress in Oceanography 67(3/4): 314-331. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.002

Pierson, J. J., A. W. Leising, C. Halsband-Lenk, and N. Ferm. 2005. Vertical distribution and abundance of Calanus pacificus and Pseudocalanus newmani in relation to chlorophyll a concentrations in Dabob Bay, WA. Progress in Oceanography 37(3/4): 349-365. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.006

Halsband-Lenk, C., J. J. Pierson, and A. W. Leising. 2005. Reproduction of Pseudocalanus newmani (Copepoda: Calanoida) is deleteriously affected by diatom blooms - a field study. Progress in Oceanography 67(3/4): 332-348. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.003

Horner, R. A., J. R. Postel, C. Halsband-Lenk, J. J. Pierson, G. Pohnert, and T. Wichard. 2005. Winter-spring phytoplankton blooms in Dabob Bay, Washington. Progress in Oceanography 67(3/4): 286-313. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.005

Leising, A. W., R. A. Horner, J. J. Pierson, J. R. Postel, and C. Halsband-Lenk. 2005. The balance between microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in a highly productive estuarine fjord. Progress in Oceanography 67(3/4): 366-683. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.007

Leising, A. W., J. J. Pierson, C. Halsband-Lenk, R. A. Horner, and J. R. Postel. 2005. Copepod grazing during spring blooms: Can Pseudocalanus newmani induce trophic cascades? Progress in Oceanography 67(3/4): 406-421. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.009

Leising, A. W., J. J. Pierson, C. Halsband-Lenk, R. A. Horner, and J. R. Postel. 2005. Copepod grazing during spring blooms: Does Calanus pacificus avoid harmful diatoms? Progress in Oceanography 67(3/4): 384-405. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2005.09.008

I am a marine ecologist, specializing in zooplankton ecology, and my primary interest is how individuals’ behaviors affect population dynamics. Behavior reflects both the internal physiological and the external environmental conditions, and thus studying behavior provides information about how zooplankton individuals and populations function within an ecosystem.

For planktonic organisms living in a dilute and dynamic environment, it is not always possible to infer whether behavior or environmental conditions are driving the observed distributions, nor is it always possible to reliably sample individuals at appropriate scales. However, by combining various sampling, observation, and experimental techniques I try to gain a greater understanding of the ecology of zooplankton populations.

In my current research, I am taking an integrative approach, by coupling data collected over large spatial or long temporal scales to data on zooplankton individuals. These data are gathered using a variety of instruments, ranging from new acoustic and optical instruments to traditional net samples and laboratory observations and experiments. Although my work has focused on marine copepods, I am a marine ecologist first; I study zooplankton in the context of the larger ecosystem. For example, zooplankton are food for commercially important fish species, consumers of primary and secondary production, and tracers in the marine environment. This integrated approach is vital to a complete understanding of aquatic ecosystems, and has allowed me to forge strong collaborations with researchers from a number of disciplines, including other marine ecologists, physical and chemical oceanographers, and fisheries scientists.

Current and Recent Projects

GLOBEC Pan-Regional Synthesis: Life histories of species in the genus Calanus in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans and responses to climate forcing

Funding: NSF Ocean Science                      Role: PI

The goal of this project is to develop an Individual Based Life Cycle model for sibling copepod species in two sympatric species pairs of the genus Calanus in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. The life cycle model employs a conceptual understanding of Calanus dormancy and embodies the hypothesis that timing of entry and exit from dormancy exerts an important control on population dynamics. The model will be applied to make predictions about the life history response of each species to forcing under reasonable climate change. The study includes compilation and analysis of data on life history characteristics of each species across its range, allowing investigation of the potential for phenotypic differences in physiology associated with genotypic differences across species’ ranges and for adaptive change in physiological responses due to climate forcing.

Dynamic stability and particle transformations: tracing pathways of production in Estuarine Turbidity Maxima (BITMAX II) http://www.bitmaxii.org

Funding: NSF Ocean Science                     Role: Senior Scientist

Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETMs) are turbid water regions located at the heads of coastal plain estuaries, near the landward limit of saltwater intrusion. They trap sediment, detritus, zooplankton and fish early-life stages, enhance secondary production, and serve as critical nursery areas for economically important fishes. The overall goal of this project is to evaluate and explain why the Chesapeake Bay ETM is dynamically stable and supports enhanced secondary production. One of the specific hypotheses we are testing is that in the ETM region, high bacterial production supports enhanced secondary production through a “bacterial shunt”, where mesozooplankton production in estuaries is supported by bacterial processes instead of phytoplankton production.

Forays and Foraging in Marine Zooplankton

Funding: NSF Ocean Science                     Role: Student/PostDoc/Co-PI (subcontract)

We are testing the hypothesis that throughout the night, many copepods make repeated “forays” of short temporal (hourly) and small spatial (meters) extent into the food rich surface layer to graze from the immediate subsurface waters, and once satiated they return to the subsurface waters to avoid predators. This idea differs from the traditional view of zooplankton “diel vertical migration”, wherein copepods reside in deep water throughout the day, rise to the surface at dusk to feed, and remain in the surface layer until dawn, when they return to deep water. We developed an individual based model of copepod migration behavior to explore how different behaviors lead to different vertical distributions throughout the night. We have also developed a zooplankton trap system, which we are using to collect zooplankton making forays up and down throughout the night, and make physiological and morphological measurements to asses the condition of the individuals moving in different directions.

Pierson, J. J., Frost, B.W., Leising, A.W. 2009. Foray foraging behavior of copepods: An empirical and numerical study. Poster presentation at ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Nice, France. View Poster

Pierson, J. J., Roman, M., Kimmel, D., Zhang, X., Loveland, B., Boicourt, B. Quantitative relationships between zooplankton vertical distribution and oxycline depth: Comparisons between regions, size classes, and time of day. Oral presentation at Ocean Sciences 2008 Meeting, Orlando, FL View Presentation

Pierson, J. J., Roman, M. R., Kimmel, D. G., Hood, R. R., Keller, D., Crump, B. C., Malpezzi, M. 2007. First observations of winter zooplankton abundance, distribution, and vital rates in the Chesapeake Bay estuarine turbidity maximum. Oral presentation at Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Meeting, Providence, RI View Presentation

Pierson, J. J., Frost, B. W., & Leising, A. W. 2007. Foray foraging behavior in marine copepods. Oral presentation at the PICES/ICES Early Career Scientists Conference, Baltimore, MD.

Pierson, J. J., Leising, A. W., Halsband-Lenk, C., Horner, R. A., Postel, J. R., & Frost, B. W. 2005. Prey type effects on zooplankton production: A different view of food limitation. Oral presentation at Estuarine Research Federation 2005 Meeting, Norfolk, VA.

Frost, B.W., Halsband-Lenk, R.A. Horner, A.W. Leising, J.J. Pierson, & J. Postel. 2004. Copepods and Diatoms: Paradigm or Paradox? Poster presentation at 11th International Conference on Harmful Algae, Cape Town, South Africa

Pierson, J.J., Leising, A.W., Frost, B.W., Horner, R.A., Postel, J.R., & Halsband-Lenk, C. 2004. Species-specific grazing by Calanus pacificus and Pseudocalanus newmani during phytoplankton blooms in Dabob Bay, Puget Sound (WA). Oral presentation at ASLO/TOS Ocean Sciences Meeting, Honolulu, HI.

Pierson, J.J., & Frost, B.W. 2003. In situ reproduction of Calanus pacificus before, during, and after phytoplankton blooms. Oral presentation at 3rd International Zooplankton Production Symposium, Gijon, Spain.

Pierson, J.J., & B. W. Frost. 2002. Fecundity and egg hatching success of Calanus pacificus and Pseudocalanus newmani during the spring bloom in Dabob Bay, WA. Oral presentation for ASLO Summer Meeting, Victoria, B.C.

Pierson, J.J., Durbin, E.G. & Sullivan, B.K. 2000. Suspended planktonic hydroids: Abundance, distribution, and impact of a rapacious predator. Poster for ASLO/AGU Ocean Sciences, San Antonio, TX