Jennifer Questel

Jennifer Questel is a Research Assistant Professor in Oceanography at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her research focuses on molecular ecology and biodiversity assessment of zooplankton communities in Arctic and subarctic ecosystems, particularly in the Gulf of Alaska and western Arctic Ocean. She employs advanced techniques like DNA barcoding, metabarcoding, and population genetics to study species identification, connectivity, and trophic interactions.

Education includes a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (2016) and a B.S. in Zoology from the State University of New York at Oswego (2008).

Her specialties include Biological Oceanography, Zooplankton Ecology, and Molecular Genetics. Recent work emphasizes developing reference databases (e.g., MetaZooGene) and applying metabarcoding to monitor zooplankton diversity across marine ecosystems. Research spans topics like Arctic biodiversity, mesopelagic food webs, and the impact of environmental factors on species distribution.

Affiliations include Golden Key International Honour Society, Association for Women in Science, and Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS).