Jules Jaffe

Jules Jaffe is a Researcher at the Marine Physical Laboratory within Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, where he has pioneered technological innovations in ocean observation since joining in 1988. His work bridges engineering and marine ecology through advanced instrumentation development.

His educational background includes:

• Bachelor's degree in Physics (cum laude) from State University of New York, Buffalo
• Master's degree in Biomedical Information Science from Georgia Institute of Technology
• Doctorate in Biophysics from University of California, Berkeley

Jaffe specializes in deploying novel technologies for in-situ oceanic measurements, with breakthroughs including acoustic systems for zooplankton behavior observation, autonomous imaging fluorometers for phytoplankton mapping, and underwater microscopes for plankton characterization. His research integrates inverse techniques to interpret complex oceanographic data, focusing on ecological dynamics at micro-scales.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America
• Visiting Miller Professorship at UC Berkeley
• Pew Memorial Foundation Research Fellowship

Research funding has been secured from the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, California Sea Grant, U.S. Army Breast Cancer Research Program, Seaver Institute, and W.M. Keck Foundation. His career includes prior positions at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (1984-1988) and industry roles at Diasonics Inc. and KLA Instruments. Jaffe actively engages public audiences through lectures on oceanographic methods and his participation in the 1985 Titanic discovery expedition.

He directs instrumentation development within the Marine Physical Laboratory, currently advancing acoustic drifter networks for coastal circulation studies and microscopic imaging systems that revolutionize plankton observation in natural marine environments.