Dongran Zhai, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

About Me

I am an ocean sciences researcher focusing on the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. My research integrates satellite remote sensing data, statistical modeling, and Earth system model analysis to quantify and understand the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on global ocean chlorophyll.

Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Tsinghua University, developing data-driven frameworks to quantify the impacts of typhoons and extreme climate events on phytoplankton dynamics. I received my Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) in 2025, with research focusing on the detection and attribution of changes in ocean chlorophyll.

My research interests include: detection and attribution of ocean chlorophyll, impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, satellite remote sensing data analysis, Bayesian statistical modeling, and Earth system model analysis.

Latest Research

2024

Long-term trends in the distribution of ocean chlorophyll

Zhai, D., Beaulieu, C., Kudela, R. M.

Geophysical Research Letters

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2025

A Bayesian dynamic space-time model informed by optical variability for detecting trends in ocean satellite chlorophyll

Zhai, D., Beaulieu, C., Hammond, M. L., Sahu, S. K.

Under Revision

2025

Future Changes in Stressors for the Seamount Chains of the Southeast Pacific

Hammond, M. L., Ramos, M., Gallardo, M. A., Zhai, D. et al.

Frontiers in Marine Science

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Research Areas

Detection and Attribution of Ocean Chlorophyll

Using satellite observations and climate model simulations to detect and attribute changes in ocean chlorophyll, understanding the signals of anthropogenic climate change on marine ecosystems.

Climate Change Impacts

Studying the long-term impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, including the mechanisms of extreme events on phytoplankton dynamics.

Satellite Remote Sensing Data Analysis

Integrating multi-source satellite and reanalysis data, developing data-driven frameworks to quantify changes in marine ecosystems.

Statistical Modeling

Applying Bayesian frameworks, spatiotemporal series analysis, and other statistical methods to establish dynamic models for detecting and predicting trends in marine ecosystems.