MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH UNIT - UBC

Mei Sato

Former Research Associate

Tel: 604.822.9111
Fax: 604.822.8180
E-mailm.sato@oceans.ubc.ca

Research Interests: Biological-physical interactions, Predator-prey interactions

Education: BSc Aquatic Biosciences (Tokyo University of Fisheries); MSc Oceanography (University of Maine); PhD Oceanography (University of Victoria)

Curriculum Vitae (download)


Research:

My research focuses on responses of marine animal behaviour to biological and physical forcing across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Simultaneous quantification of biological and physical properties of the ocean is key to understanding the behavior of marine organisms. I am particularly interested in small-scale variability behaviour, distributions, and predator-prey interactions of fish and zooplankton communities – and how this drives population and ecosystem dynamics. In order to address problems across a range of temporal/spatial scales, I use hydroacoustics in different platforms (vessels, moorings, cabled observatories) combined with net sampling and physical measurements.

Current and Recent Projects: Predator-prey interactions between killer whales and Chinook salmon


Publications

Benoit-Bird, K. J, T. P. Welch, C. M. Waluk, J. A. Barth, I. Wangen, P. McGill, C. Okuda, G. A. Hollinger, M. Sato, S. McCammon. 2018. Equipping an underwater glider with a new echosounder to explore ocean ecosystems. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 16: 734-749.

Sato, M., J. A. Barth, K. J. Benoit-Bird, S. D. Pierce, T. J. Cowles, R. D. Brodeur, and W. T. Peterson. Coastal upwelling fronts as a boundary for planktivorous fish distributions. Marine Ecology Progress Series: 995: 171-186.

Sato, M. and K. J. Benoit-Bird. 2017. Spatial variability of deep scattering layers shapes the Bahamian mesopelagic ecosystem. Marine Ecology Progress Series 580: 69-82.

Sato, M., J. K. Horne, S. L. Parker-Stetter, T. E. Essington, J. E. Keister, P. E. Moriarty, L. Li, and J. Newton. 2016. Impacts of moderate hypoxia on fish and zooplankton prey distributions in a coastal fjord. Marine Ecology Progress Series 560: 57-72.

Sato, M., J. K. Horne, S. L. Parker-Stetter, and J. E. Keister. 2015. Acoustic classification of coexisting taxa in a coastal ecosystem. Fisheries Research 172: 130-136.

Sato, M., J.M. Klymak, E. Kunze, R. Dewey, and J.F. Dower. 2014. Turbulence and internal waves in Patricia Bay, Saanich Inlet, British Columbia. Continental Shelf Research 85: 153-167.

Sato, M., J. Dower, E. Kunze, and R. Dewey. 2013. Second-order seasonal variability in diel vertical migration timing of euphausiids in a coastal inlet. Marine Ecology Progress Series 480: 39-56.

Borstad, G., L. Brown, M. Sato, D. Lemon, R. Kerr, and P. Willis. 2010. Long zooplankton time series with high temporal and spatial resolution. Oceans 2010 MTS/IEEE Seattle,  9 pp. DOI: 10.1109/OCEANUS. 2010.5664585.

Sato, M. and P.A. Jumars. 2008. Seasonal and vertical variations in emergence behaviors of Neomysis americana. Limnology and Oceanography 53: 1665-1677.

Sato, M. and H. Yamazaki. 2008. Estimating micro-scale intermittency of fluorescence fields from conventional CTD measurements. Journal of Marine Systems 70: 240-247.

Sato, M. and G.C. Jensen. 2005. Shell selection by hermit crab, Pagurus hartae (Mclaughlin & Jensen, 1996) (Decapoda, Anomura). Crustaceana 78: 755-760.