The University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center in Walpole recently welcomed Dr. Gregory Gerbi, assistant professor of oceanography, to UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences.

Gerbi comes to UMaine after nine years at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York where he was an associate professor of physics and geosciences. Prior to his time as a faculty member at Skidmore College, Gerbi was a postdoctoral scholar at both Rutgers University and UMaine after receiving a Ph.D. from the Joint Program in Oceanography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Gerbi who now resides in Newcastle, says he looks forward to opportunities through which he can “contribute to a better understanding of the circulation of waters in the Gulf of Maine and in our local estuaries, particularly in the coastal waters that are important for fisheries and aquaculture.”

“My work focuses on predicting the fates of materials in the ocean,” said Gerbi. He studies how these materials – including the offspring of marine organisms like clams and lobsters – are transported by currents in coastal regions. These same approaches can be used to forecast the movement of pollutants and distribution of harmful algal blooms in the marine environment.

Gerbi shared his excitement for his field, physical oceanography, noting “this field has become more integrated with operational modeling and prediction, which supports weather forecasting and fisheries management, among other things." He looks forward to engaging UMaine students at the DMC and nearby waters, both on the Walpole campus as well as through hands-on, boat-based learning opportunities in oceanography.

“Greg will be a great addition to our team of DMC based UMaine faculty,” says DMC director Heather Leslie. “His experience working with many different types of scientists to understand our world’s oceans, as well as his commitment to conducting science relevant to Maine waters and people,  make him a great fit for the DMC and UMaine.”   

Gerbi said “working at the Darling Marine Center provides great access to coastal waters and a direct connection to the communities that depend on the ocean.  I am excited to collaborate with people in the aquaculture and fishing industries, and to understand what is important to them and how I can contribute to their work.”