Research Highlights
Research Interests
Investigating processes that influence ocean currents (from the sea surface down to the seafloor) and their role in redistributing heat, salt, and carbon around the planet.
Renellys C. Perez, PhD.
Deputy Director, Physical Oceanography Division
305.361.4518
4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149
“My love of math and physics, fondness for the ocean, and desire to study observable phenomena (even if you need a satellite to observe it) was what drew me to a career in physical oceanography.”
Renellys Perez is the Deputy Director of the Physical Oceanography Division of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). She is also a Principal Investigator of the PIRATA Northeast Extension (PNE), Tropical Atlantic Current Observations Study (TACOS), and Southwest Atlantic MOC (SAM) programs. PNE is a joint AOML/PMEL project to observe and better understand climate fluctuations in the central and northeastern tropical Atlantic. TACOS is an AOML project to observe with fine temporal and vertical resolution the horizontal currents in the tropical North Atlantic at PNE mooring sites. SAM is an AOML project to observe and monitor boundary currents in the Southwest Atlantic along 34.5S and their contribution to the meridional overturning circulation. Renellys Perez is also involved in research projects to:
– Examine tropical and South Atlantic currents, how they vary, and how they influence sea surface temperature, weather, climate, and ecosystems.
– Characterize the variability of the overturning circulation in the South Atlantic, and its influence on regional and global heat, salt, oxygen, and carbon distributions, as well as its impact on weather, climate, and sea level.
– Observe deep and abyssal changes in sea surface temperature in the South and North Atlantic ocean.
– Examine how sea level pressure changes over the central North Pacific can be an early precursor for El Niño events.
Current Work
Deputy Director, Physical Oceanography Division
PIRATA Northeast Extension: PNE is a joint AOML/PMEL project to expand the set of tropical moored buoys in the northern and northeastern sectors of the Tropical Atlantic ocean, and better understand ocean-atmosphere fluctuations in that region.
Tropical Atlantic Current Observations Study: TACOS is an AOML project to observe with fine temporal and vertical resolution the horizontal currents and vertical shear in the tropical North Atlantic at PNE mooring sites.
Southwest Atlantic MOC: SAM is an AOML project to observe and monitor boundary currents and water mass changes in the Southwest Atlantic along 34.5S and their contribution to the meridional overturning circulation.
Deep Temperature (DeepT) programs: DeepT is a new project to analyze deep and abyssal temperatures from bottom-moored instruments in the South and North Atlantic.
2006, Ph.D. Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
1999, M.S. Applied Marine Physics, University of Miami RSMAS, Virginia, Key, FL
1995, B.S. Applied Mathematics and Pure Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
- Arumi-Planas, C., S. Dong, R. Perez, M.J. Harrison, R. Farneti, and A. Hernandez-Guerra. A multi-data set analysis of the freshwater transport by the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at nominally 34.5ºS. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, 129(6):e2023JC020558, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020558 2024
Ref. 4420 - Bilo, T., R.C. Perez, S. Dong, W. Johns, and T. Kanzow. Weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation abyssal limb in the North Atlantic. Nature Geoscience, 17(5):419-425, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01422-4 2024
Ref. 4403 - Lumpkin, R., F. Bringas, and R.C. Perez. Global oceans: Surface currents. In Chapter 3, State of the Climate in 2023. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 105(8):S187-S190, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0100.1 2024
Ref. 4434