Julie M. Rose, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D. Marine Environmental Biology - University of Southern California, 2006
• B.A. Biology and English - La Salle University, 2000

Professional History

• 2011-present: Research Ecologist, NOAA NEFSC Milford Laboratory
• 2009-2011: Science Coordinator and NOAA Liaison to the Long Island Sound Study
• 2006-2009: NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Polar Regions Research, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and University of Delaware
• Full CV: Download File

I am interested in applied research, data synthesis and environmental policy. My current research informs marine policy and resource management through projects related to ecosystem services provided by shellfish. Shellfish can remove nutrients, improve water clarity, and provide habitat for a variety of fish and crustaceans. I work collaboratively with benthic ecologists, modelers, economists, members of the aquaculture industry, and environmental managers to quantify ecosystem services provided by a variety of species of cultivated shellfish:

1. Shellfish and eutrophication reduction:  Shellfish filter feeding can improve water quality, particularly in eutrophic coastal areas that have excess nutrients and an overabundance of phytoplankton. I co-led a recent project that quantified the ecological and economic value of nitrogen removal services provided by shellfish aquaculture at the municipal scale in Greenwich, Connecticut. This transferable approach can be applied to any coastal municipality where watershed nitrogen loads have been established.
2. Finfish habitat provided by oyster aquaculture gear: Shellfish growers routinely observe fish at a variety of life stages interacting with aquaculture gear. My colleagues and I have been using underwater video technology to document fish interactions with oyster aquaculture cages in Long Island Sound. Data demonstrating habitat services provided to fish are valuable to regulators and fishery managers who make decisions about siting shellfish farms and protecting habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish species. Videos of fish using oyster cages can also serve as compelling outreach tools to demonstrate environmental benefits provided by the shellfish aquaculture industry to the public.
3. Shellfish aquaculture and water quality management:  Nutrient bioextraction is the use of shellfish and/or seaweed cultivation and harvest to aid in removing nitrogen and other nutrients from the coastal environment. I have contributed to the incorporation of shellfish into nutrient management programs in the United States. Since 2015, I have been a member of the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Best Management Practice Expert Panel, which is making a series of recommendations on the inclusion of oysters in Chesapeake Bay’s water quality regulatory process. A recent paper I led explored policy options for incorporation of oyster-mediated denitrification into nitrogen management programs.
4. Scientific guidance to environmental management: I serve as a member of the Science and Technical Advisory Committee for the Long Island Sound Study. I am also the Connecticut representative and co-chair of the USDA Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center Technical and Industry Advisory Committee.