About

As a computational oceanographer and coastal ecosystem modeler, my research is driven by a central question: How do land-sea interactions - especially within the dynamic intertidal zone connecting terrestrial systems and the coastal ocean - shape and respond to a changing climate and other environmental stressors? I investigate tightly coupled physical and biogeochemical processes, with a focus on tidal dynamics, saltwater intrusion, carbon cycling, tidal wetlands, and benthic-pelagic coupling. A primary methodology of my research is process-based numerical modeling. I have developed various sub-models for biogeochemistry, tidal marshes, submerged aquatic vegetation, benthic algae, and more, all within the open-sourced state-of-the-art 3D SCHISM platform. Additionally, the skill of big data analysis is the prerequisite for not only developing models but also scientific investigations. I employ machine learning approaches to further support and enhance the research concepts and scope.

Research Theme & Vision

Coastal physics in a changing climate

Tidal dynamics and marsh evolution
Saltwater intrusion and upland hydrology

Coastal biogeochemistry and ecosystem response

Intertidal zone: wetland biogeochemistry and greenhouse gas fluxes
Shallow water systems: benthic-pelagic coupling
Estuaries and coasts: carbon cycling and eutrophication dynamics

Publications

Full list of publications at Google Scholar.

Recognizing Salt Wave Events in Coastal Systems
[preprint]

A Seamless Two-Decade Cross-Scale Simulation from the North American Atlantic Coast to Tidal Wetlands Using a 3D Unstructured-grid Model
[preprint]

Sea-level Rise Impacts on Tidal Marshes and Estuarine Biogeochemical Processes
[paper]

The Roles of Tidal Marshes in the Estuarine Biogeochemical Processes
[paper]

Bifurcate Responses of Tidal Range to Sea-level Rise in Estuaries with Marsh Evolution
[paper] [supplementary]

Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Hypoxia and Phytoplankton Production in Chesapeake Bay
[paper]

A Numerical Study of Hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay Using an Unstructured Grid Model: Validation and Sensitivity to Bathymetry Representation
[paper]

Impact of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation on Water Quality in Cache Slough Complex, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
[paper]

Datasets & Models

SCHISM Ecosystem modeling system


Communications between ICM Biogeochemical Model, Sediment Flux Model (SF), and Tidal Marsh Model:
Carbonate Chemistry Model
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Model
Benthic Algae Model
Benthic Feeder Model
Bioturbation Model
Sediment Transport Model
Wind Wave Model
Watershed and Airshed coupling

CV & Bio

View my full CV pdf here.

Education

  • 2022, Ph.D., Marine Science, William & Mary | VIMS
  • 2018, M.S., Marine Science, William & Mary | VIMS
  • 2015, B.S., Oceanography, Nanjing University

Professional Experience

    Yale University

  • NSF Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow at School of the Environment
  • Mentors: Peter Raymond (Yale), Holly Michael (U. Delaware), Sergio Fagherazzi (Boston U.)
  • Aug. 2024 - present

    • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  • ORISE Fellow at Chesapeake Bay Program Office
  • Aug. 2021 – Jul. 2024

    • University of Oldenburg, Germany

  • International Visiting Fellow at Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment
  • Host: Jörg-Olaf Wolff
  • Fall, 2017

    • William & Mary | Virginia Institute of Marine Science

  • Graduate Research Assistant at Department of Physical Oceanography
  • Advisors: Joseph Zhang, Jian Shen
  • Aug. 2015 – Jul. 2021