[All-postdocs] Bioseminar - Mei Sato

[Ana Velez]

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Biology Department Seminar

Thursday, May 7, 2026 - 12:00 pm
Redfield Auditorium

Mei Sato
Assistant Scientist, WHOI

Biological-Physical Coupling in a Dynamic Ocean: Through the Lens of Mid-Trophic Levels
Coupling between biological and physical processes in the ocean is subtle and complex. Physical features such as fronts and eddies not only set the stage for biological activity but also directly shape animal distributions and interactions. Yet, these influences are often simplified, with physical processes viewed mainly as drivers of primary productivity or passive transport. Mid-trophic level organisms, including zooplankton, fish, and squid, occupy a unique position: unlike passive phytoplankton or strongly swimming top predators, they are influenced by physical forcing but can behaviorally modulate their position through horizontal and vertical movement, making them an ideal lens for understanding biological responses to the physical environment. My research targets organisms and scales where physical forcing and behavior interact most strongly, investigating how mid-trophic organisms navigate dynamic ocean conditions and how their behavior links physical processes to ecosystem dynamics. I focus on systems with sharp gradients, where strong environmental contrasts enhance the detectability of biological responses. By integrating high-resolution acoustic observations with biological and physical measurements, I quantify the distribution, abundance, and behavior of mid-trophic organisms in relation to dynamic oceanographic features, including coastal upwelling regions, shelfbreak fronts, and mesoscale eddies.

Biology Seminar Web Page<https://www.whoi.edu/what-we-do/understand/departments-centers-labs/bio/bio-highlights-events/>

For questions, contact:

Ana Maria Velez
Biology Pre-Award Administrative Associate
Ph: 508-289-2334
[signature_1005462319]

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.whoi.edu/mailman/private/all-postdocs/attachments/20260504/32f87072/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 7718 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <https://mailman.whoi.edu/mailman/private/all-postdocs/attachments/20260504/32f87072/image001-0001.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 05_07_2026 Mei Sato.pdf
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 244815 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://mailman.whoi.edu/mailman/private/all-postdocs/attachments/20260504/32f87072/05_07_2026MeiSato-0001.pdf>