Dr. Jessica Garzke
Research Associate and Sessional Instructor
Department of Zoology
Biodiversity Research Center
University of British Columbia, Canada
with Dr. Mary I. O'Connor
Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography
German Diplom (equiv. to M.Sc. + B.Sc. in Biology)
Navigating the Depths of Marine Ecosystems
Welcome to my digital corner of the academic world. I'm Dr. Jessica Garzke, a Biological Oceanographer with a passion for unraveling the mysteries of marine food webs and trophic ecology. With a background in Biological Oceanography and Zoology, I explore the critical role of zooplankton in our changing marine environments.
Expertise: With close to a decade of experience, I employ a diverse toolkit, including fatty acids, amino acids, stable isotopes, and cutting-edge molecular techniques like RNASeq. These tools allow me to delve deep into zooplankton physiology, deciphering the ripple effects throughout marine ecosystems.
Collaboration: I'm not just a scientist; I'm a collaborator. I work closely with modellers to enrich ecosystem models with insights from my research. Together, we strive for a more comprehensive understanding of our marine world.
Research Motto: "Food quality matters, even for plankton." This mantra guides my work and underscores the importance of food quality in marine ecosystems, regardless of scale.
Collaboration: I'm not just a scientist; I'm a collaborator. I work closely with modellers to enrich ecosystem models with insights from my research. Together, we strive for a more comprehensive understanding of our marine world.
Research Motto: "Food quality matters, even for plankton." This mantra guides my work and underscores the importance of food quality in marine ecosystems, regardless of scale.
But my journey doesn't end with research. I believe in the power of collaboration, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to drive impactful research. On this website, you'll find a showcase of my research endeavors, a glimpse into my teaching approach, and my thoughts on fostering a more inclusive scientific community.
News
Nov 18th, 2022: I am excited to start a new collaboration with Dr. David Anderson from the O'Connor lab (UBC). Stay tuned about temperature and nutrient limitation effects on zooplankton growth.
Nov 16th, 2022: My first teaching and education publication is now available on BioRxiv (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.14.516496v1.abstract). We show that 1st year undergraduate students feel more confident and able to understand the research process and primary scientific literature. We show that using the CREATE method in the online environment by a divers instructor team with various teaching experience is able to lead to comparable outcomes and increases the students' self efficacy.
Oct 20th, 2022: New publication alert in FACETS !!! In a big collaboration effort with the Hakai Institute, UBC, University of Toronto, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), we are present evidence from field data, that the early marine survival of Sockeye salmon depends on the available food quality and that food quantity is not always a reliable proxy for condition, growth and survival. More information (https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/full/10.1139/facets-2022-0068)
August 29th, 2022: New publication alert. My colleagues and I experimentally show that high food quality, specifically high concentrations of the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, lead to higher condition, growth rates and lower mortality. Additionally, we can show that higher intake rates of prey cannot compensate for low food quality. More about our study (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.28.505594v1.abstract). This work was in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Nov 16th, 2022: My first teaching and education publication is now available on BioRxiv (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.14.516496v1.abstract). We show that 1st year undergraduate students feel more confident and able to understand the research process and primary scientific literature. We show that using the CREATE method in the online environment by a divers instructor team with various teaching experience is able to lead to comparable outcomes and increases the students' self efficacy.
Oct 20th, 2022: New publication alert in FACETS !!! In a big collaboration effort with the Hakai Institute, UBC, University of Toronto, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), we are present evidence from field data, that the early marine survival of Sockeye salmon depends on the available food quality and that food quantity is not always a reliable proxy for condition, growth and survival. More information (https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/full/10.1139/facets-2022-0068)
August 29th, 2022: New publication alert. My colleagues and I experimentally show that high food quality, specifically high concentrations of the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, lead to higher condition, growth rates and lower mortality. Additionally, we can show that higher intake rates of prey cannot compensate for low food quality. More about our study (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.28.505594v1.abstract). This work was in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada