School for Marine Science and Technology

The School for Marine Sciences and Technology (SMAST) at UMass Dartmouth conducts research and provides instruction in the interdisciplinary areas of marine science, oceanography, technology development and policy. SMAST is a major center for research and economic development for UMass Dartmouth and the University of Massachusetts.

SMAST’s faculty and staff engage in basic and applied research in areas that foster interactions with industries and public agencies on issues of environmental policy and economic development. While SMAST research tends to concentrate on the regional coastal ocean, estuaries and watersheds of Massachusetts, New England and the adjacent United States, some of its programs focus on remote regions of the global oceans.

SMAST is primarily a graduate school, but also offers introductory undergraduate courses and internship opportunities.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Mark A Altabet (Chairperson, Department of Estuarine and Ocean Sciences), BS 1979 State University of New York at Stony Brook, PhD 1984 Harvard University, Marine and Environmental Biogeochemistry, Stable Isotopes, Ocean Nitrogen Cycling, Climate Change

James J Bisagni (Emeritus), BS 1972 State University of New York at Stony Brook, MS 1976, PhD 1991 University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Physical Oceanography, Satellite Oceanography, Physical-Biological Interactions

Lauran Brewster, PhD 2017 University of Hull, Behavioral Ecology, Spatial Ecology, Animal-Borne Tags, Energetics, Fisheries Interactions, Multispecies Portfolios, Quantitative Analyses

Wendell S Brown (Emeritus), BS 1965, MS 1967 Brown University, PhD 1971 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Coastal Physical Oceanography, Moored Ocean Observations, Real Time Circulation Modeling, Data/Information Management System Development

Steven X Cadrin, BS 1985 Long Island University, MS 1995 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD 2003 University of Rhode Island, Fish Stock Assessment, Defining Spatial Fishery Management Units, Spatially-Complex Population Dynamics, Fishery Management Advice, Bycatch Management

Changsheng Chen, BS 1979, MS 1983 Ocean University of Qingdao, MS 1989, PhD 1992 Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Modeling and Observational Exploration of Coastal Ocean Circulation, Oceanic Frontal Processes, Turbulent Mixing/Bottom Boundary Layer Dynamics, Chaotic Mixing, Western Boundary Currents, Internal Waves and Tides, Biological/Physical Interaction

Geoffrey Cowles (Chairperson, Department of Fisheries Oceanography), BS 1994 Cornell University, PhD 2001 Princeton University, Marine Renewable Energy, Ocean Modeling, Shape Optimization and Design, High Performance Computing, Coupled Marine Bio-Physical Models

Melissa Cronin, BA 2013 New York University, PhD 2022 University of California, Santa Cruz, Marine Conservation, Social-Ecological Systems, International Fisheries, Manta and Devil Ray Bycatch Mitigation, Fisheries Conflict, Collective Action, Small-Scale Fisheries, Participatory Research

Adam Delargy, BS 2014 University of Glasgow, MS 2015 University of Aberdeen, PhD 2020 Bangor University, Fish Survey Designs, Gear Efficiency, Quantitative Analyzes, Statistical Modelling, Spatial Statistics, Shellfish

Gavin Fay, BSc 2000 University of Stirling MS 2004, PhD 2012 University of Washington, Evaluating Performance of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Strategies, Stock Assessment Statistical Methods Development, Simulation Testing of Management, Monitoring, and Assessment Procedures, Social-Ecological Ecosystem Modeling and Indicators for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment, Testing Decision Support Tools for Living Marine Resource Management

Avijit Gangopadhyay (Emeritus), BTech 1979 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, MTech 1982 Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, PhD 1990 University of Rhode Island, Physical Oceanography, Numerical Modeling, Multiscale Process Studies, Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction, Western Boundary Currents, Gulf Stream and its Eddies, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Brazil Current

Pingguo He, BE 1982 Zhejiang Ocean University, PhD 1987 University of Aberdeen Scotland, Sustainable Fisheries, Fish Behavior Near Fishing Gear, Environmentally Friendly Fishing Gear Design, Evaluating and Reducing Fishing Impact

Micheline Labrie, BA 2011 University of New Hampshire, PhD 2021 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Coastal Systems Biogeochemistry, Biodegradation, Plastics in the Environment

Siqi Li, BS 2009 Ocean University of China, PhD 2022 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Coastal Ocean Modeling, Atmosphere-Ocean Coupling, Real-Time Forecasting Systems, Hydrology–Ocean Model Coupling, Wind Turbine Wake Simulation

Steven Lohrenz (Emeritus), BA 1978 University of Oregon, 1985 PhD MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Biological Distributions and Productivity, Cycling of Carbon and Nutrients in Coastal and Ocean Waters Using Ship-Based Measurements and Optical and Remotely Sensed Observations

Pia Moisander, MS 1996 University of Helsinki, PhD 2002 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Marine Microbial Ecology, Marine Nitrogen Cycle, Marine Biofouling, Cyanobacterial Blooms

Cynthia Pilskaln (Emerita), BA 1978 University of Vermont, MA 1980, PhD 1985 Harvard University, Marine Biogeochemistry and Sedimentology, Geochemical Particle Fluxes and Sedimentation in Ocean and Rift Lake Systems, Quantitative Relationships to Climate Forcing

Jianhua Qi, BS 1985, MS 1988 Ocean University of Qingdao, China, PhD 1991 Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China, Physical Oceanography, Ocean Numerical Model Simulation, FVCOM-SWAVE Model Developer, NUOPC FVCOM Developer

Christopher Rillahan, BS University of New Hampshire, MS 2008 University of New Hampshire, PhD 2025 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Fish Behavior and Physiology, Advanced Underwater Sampling Technology, Offshore Wind, Aquaculture, and Fishing Gear Design

Brian Rothschild (Emeritus), BS 1957 Rutgers University, MS 1959 University of Maine, PhD 1962 Cornell University, Ocean Ecosystems, Marine Fish Population Dynamics, Models of Plankton Dynamics and Interactions

Kevin Stokesbury (Dean and Commonwealth Professor of Marine Science and Technology), BS 1984, MS 1987 Acadia University, Nova Scotia, PhD 1994 Université Laval, Quebec, Marine Biology/Ecology Focusing on Fisheries, Including Scallop Population Dynamics and Life History Studies

Miles Sundermeyer, BA 1991 University of California, ScM 1995, PhD 1998 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dispersion and Transport Processes, Numerical Modeling of Mixing and Stirring, Autonomous Platforms and Sensing, Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer Dynamics

Amit Tandon, BTech 1987 Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, PhD 1992 Cornell University, Physical Oceanography, Fluid Dynamics, Environmental and Computational Physics

Jefferson Turner, BS 1969 Guilford College, MA 1972 University of South Florida, PhD 1977 Texas A & M University, Biological Oceanography

Christopher Ward, BA 2007 Carleton College, PhD 2016 Duke University, Marine Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Polymer Biodegradation, Marine Plastics, Cyanobacterial Blooms