Jonelle B. Gates

Background

Jonelle received an A.A.S. from Yakima Valley Community College (2005), and a B.S. from the University of Hawaii at Hilo (2008).

Current Research

Since 2010, Jonelle's role in the Environmental Chemistry (EC) group has encompassed all aspects of safe and efficient analytical chemistry in a dynamic, professional, laboratory environment. She has directly contributed to the development of new research methods for a wide range of matrices from different species of fish and marine mammals. These research methods have all directly contributed to NOAA's understanding of the key causes of disease and mortality events in marine mammals, as well as key trends in contaminant accumulation in marine mammal populations and their habitats. The data and analyses she has helped develop support NOAA's mission of stewardship and improving the health of our oceans and marine species, ensuring the goals of the Marine Mammal protection Act (MMPA) and Marine Mammal health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) are achieved as outlined in the National Marine Fisheries Service Strategic Plan's Recovered Protected Species objective.

As a Biological Science technician, one of Jonelle's main roles in the EC group is to operate and maintain the analytical instrumentation used for the chemical tracer analysis. She is also responsible for the bulk stable isotope analysis using the Elemental Analyzer-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (EA-IRMS). Jonelle continues to develop methods and quality assurance criteria for the Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) for both the amino acids and fatty acid analyses.