Dr Zoe Jacobs

I am an ocean and climate modeller with research expertise in understanding the drivers of productivity in the tropical ocean and how this and marine ecosystems will be impacted under future climate change. I have spent the last 4 years working on the GCRF-funded project SOLSTICE, a collaborative project that aims to address the challenges facing the Western Indian Ocean, namely marine food security. During the project, I have published several peer-reviewed papers and reports on the following topics:

- Upwelling and productivity on the North Kenya Banks, Kenya

- A temporary shift in an upwelling system driven by a super El Niño

- Climate stressors for the marine ecosystems along the East African Coastal Current

- Drivers of productivity and advective losses on the Agulhas Bank, South Africa

- Present variability and future projections of the Somali Upwelling

I am also passionate about capacity development, working with early career researchers in East Africa to enhance research capability through training courses and 1-2-1 mentoring. I also narrate, and am responsible for delivering, the NOC’s MOOC "Ocean Science in Action: Addressing Marine Ecosystems and Food Security", which is a digital tool for capacity development, education and public engagement.