Rebecca Asch

Rebecca Asch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at East Carolina University, where she leads the Asch Fisheries Oceanography Lab. Her research focuses on climate change impacts on marine ecosystems, particularly the phenology of fish reproduction and its synchronization with plankton blooms. She integrates long-term oceanographic data, remote sensing, and Earth System Models to address critical fisheries management challenges.

• Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from University of California San Diego (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
• Post-Doctoral Research at Princeton University (Atmospheric and Oceanic Science)
• M.S. in Biological Oceanography from University of Rhode Island
• B.A. in Anthropology from Smith College

Her lab investigates:

• Historical and future shifts in marine phenology
• Climate-driven changes in spawning aggregation distributions
• Economic implications for North Carolina’s $100M/year fisheries
• Interactions between ocean acidification, microplastics, and fish development

Recent publications analyze phenological mismatches in marine food webs, Gulf Stream impacts, and conservation strategies for tropical reef fisheries. She collaborates with NOAA to expand ichthyoplankton monitoring programs.

Contact: aschr16@ecu.edu