Jennifer Mcwhorter

Jenn McWhorter and another researcher with BGC Argo, Image of a caucasion man and a caucasian woman standing and looking into the camera, both in grey shirts with baseball hats on the port side of a small center console boat looking forward, holding an oblong cylindrical Instrument with a white colar and a black top with sensors and an antennae protruding from the top, balanced on the edge of the boat

Research Highlights

Climate Refugia on the Great Barrier Reef

International Argo Program Wins IEEE Award

Research Interests

Ecosystem applications of ocean observations and climate models

Climate impacts on ecosystems, in particular coral reefs

Jennifer McWhorter, Ph.D.

Oceanographer, Ocean Chemistry & Ecosystems Division, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, NOAA

Not Available

Jennifer.McWhorter@noaa.gov

4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

― Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

About

Dr. Jennifer McWhorter is an Oceanographer with the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division. Jennifer’s research spans climate science, physical oceanography, and coral reef ecology to better understand climate threats to reef ecosystems. She is currently researching the biogeochemical Argo float data applications in the Gulf of Mexico, correlations between satellite data and Biogeochemical Argo floats, Biogeochemical model analysis and characterizing open ocean influences on mesophotic reefs

Current Work & CV

Current Work

Oceanographer, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division

Download Full CV

Education

Ph.D., Physical Geography/Biological Sciences, Universities of Exeter/Queensland, UK/Aus.,   2018 – 2022

‘A multidimensional analysis of climate projections on the Great Barrier Reef’, (Prof Paul Halloran/Prof Peter Mumby)

  • Design and implementation of a vertical, 1-D semi-dynamic biogeochemical-physical model to improve climate projections on the Great Barrier Reef under various climate-change scenarios
  • Identification of potential climate refugia across a range of depths on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Application of climate models and ocean observations to understand oceanographic and atmospheric drivers of climate refugia on coral reef environments
  • Data collection of coral reef carbonate budgets in Chagos, BIOT and Heron Island, Aus. under various levels of pH

Master in Advanced Studies (MAS) in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 2014 (GPA: 3.97)

Bachelor of Arts – Physical Geography & Marine Option Program Certificate & Awardee
University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, 2010 (GPA: 3.4) (Dean’s List 2007, 2008)

Publications

  1. McWhorter, J.K., P.R. Halloran, G. Roff, and P.J. Mumby. Climate change impacts on mesophotic regions of the Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(16):e230336121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303336121 2024
    Ref. 4398
  2. McWhorter, J.K., P.R. Halloran, G. Roff, W.J. Skirving, and P.J. Mumby. Climate refugia on the Great Barrier Reef fail when global warming exceeds 3℃. Global Change Biology, 28(19):5768-5780, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16323 2022
    Ref. 4131