Dr. Jayme Smith
Senior Scientist
Biogeochemistry
714-755-3220
jaymes@sccwrp.org
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Dr. Jayme Smith is a senior scientist in the Biogeochemistry Department at SCCWRP who studies phytoplankton ecology and the factors that shape phytoplankton community structure. She specializes in the ecology of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in aquatic systems and is interested in determining the environmental drivers and impacts of HABs in both marine and freshwater systems. Her current research efforts range from assessing the factors linked to increased risk of cyanobacterial HABs and their associated toxins in California freshwater systems, examining the environmental drivers and impacts caused by toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms in southern California, and developing HAB monitoring tools and approaches in marine and freshwater systems. She serves on several committees focused on HAB monitoring and research including the National Harmful Algal Blooms Committee (NHC), California Harmful Algal Blooms Monitoring and Alert Program (Cal-HABMAP) steering committee and is a co-chair of the California Cyanobacteria and Harmful Algal Bloom (CCHAB) Network.

She received her B.S. in biology from Vanguard University in 2009, and her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Southern California in 2018. She joined SCCWRP in 2018.

Education

Ph.D., biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 2018

B.S., biological sciences, Vanguard University of Southern California, Costa Mesa, CA, 2009

Professional Experience

Senior Scientist, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), Costa Mesa, CA, 2021-present

Scientist, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), Costa Mesa, CA, 2019-2021

Joint Postdoctoral Scientist, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) and University of Southern California, Costa Mesa, CA and Los Angeles, CA, 2018-2019

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 2012-2018

Adjunct Laboratory Instructor, Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, CA, 2010-2012

Laboratory Assistant, Monarch Labs, Irvine, CA, 2010-2012

Instructor, Biola University Youth, La Mirada, CA, 2010-2011

Honors and Awards

Young Alumnus of the Year, VUSC, 2022

WiSE Travel Grant, USC, 2017
Turner Designs Student Travel Stipend Award, USC, 2017
WiSE Travel Grant, USC, 2013
Tyler Environmental Fellowship, USC, 2012
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, VUSC, 2007
Vanguard University Honor Roll, VUSC, 2006-2009
Academic Lion I Scholarship, VUSC, 2006-2009

Selected Presentations and Conference Proceedings

Smith, J., M. Sutula, C. Nilson, M. Van Dyke. Statewide Framework and Strategy for Freshwater HAB Monitoring. Delta Harmful Algal Blooms Workshop. Sacramento, CA. Nov 2022. (contributed talk).

Smith, J., J. Cram, V. Hoard, M. Berndt, D. Shultz, A. Deming. Linking Regional Monitoring Observations to Domoic Acid Related Marine Mammal Stranding Events in Southern California. 11th U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium. Albany, New York., USA. Oct 2022. (contributed talk).

Smith, J., D. Shultz, K. Langlois, E. Duncan, S. Theroux. Molecular Approaches to Identify and Monitor Toxigenic Cyanobacteria in California Lakes. Joint California Aquatic Bioassessment Workgroup Meeting & California Chapter Society for Freshwater Science Meeting. Sacramento, CA. Oct 2022. (contributed talk).

Smith, J., S. Theroux. DNA-based methods used to identify toxin-producing cyanobacteria in California waterbodies. California Aquatic Bioassessment Workgroup & California Chapter of Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting. Oct 13, 2021. (contributed talk via webinar).

Smith, J., D. Shultz, M.D.A. Howard, B. Du, S. Theroux, D. Caron. Diversity of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Southern California recreational waterbodies. World Microbe Forum. Jun 2021. (contributed talk via webinar).

Smith, J., M. Sutula, K. Bouma-Gregson, M. Van Dyke. Development of a Multifaceted Statewide Strategy for the Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms in California. National Recreational Water Quality Workshop. Apr 2021. (contributed talk via webinar).

Roethler, M., M.D.A. Howard, D.A. Caron, R. Kudela, K. Negrey, A.O. Tatters and J. Smith. Marine and Freshwater Algal Toxins Co-occur at the Land-Sea Interface in Coastal California. Ocean Sciences Meeting. Feb 2020. San Diego, CA. (poster)

Hoel, P., D. Bianchi, C. Anderson, R. Kudela, F. Kessouri, M. Sutula, C.A. Deutsch, J. Smith and A. Moreno. Integrated Modeling of Harmful Algal Genus Pseudo-nitzschia to Support Ecosystem Prediction and Environmental Management in the Southern California Current System. Ocean Sciences Meeting. Feb 2020. San Diego, CA. (poster)

Smith, J., Tatters, A.O., Howard, M.D.A., Kudela, R.M., Negrey, K., Roethler, M., Caron, D.A. King Tides Result in Episodic Cross-Contamination of a California Coastline with Cyanobacterial and Algal Toxins. AGU Fall Meeting Dec 2019. San Francisco, CA. (contributed talk)

Smith, J., Howard, M.D.A, Kudela, R, McLaughlin, K., Caron, D.A., Roethler, M., Schultz, D., Hayashi, K, Robertson, G.,Terriquez, L., Sakamoto, K., Renick, V., Phonsiri, V., Haggin, B., Larsen, C.D. Persistent Domoic Acid in the Sediments and Benthic Infauna in California. 10th U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium. Orange Beach, Alabama, USA. Nov 2019. (contributed talk)

Mehinto, A.C, Smith, J., Wenger, E., Howard, M.D.A, Linville, R., Stanton, B., Brooks, B.W., Sutula, M. Ecotoxicity of Cyanotoxins in Freshwater Habitats - A Systemic Review of the Literature. 10th U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium. Orange Beach, Alabama, USA. Nov 2019. (poster)

Eggleston, E. J., Smith, J., Ryan, S., Gichuki, J., Kennedy, K., Tyler, A., Meredith Howard, M.D.A., Caron, D.A. Determining the Trends and Drivers of CyanoHABs in Clear Lake. 10th U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium. Orange Beach, Alabama, USA. Nov 2019. (poster)

Smith, J. Examining Potential Triggers of Algal Blooms and Harmful Algae in the Southern California Bight Southern California Branch of the American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting. 2019. La Jolla, CA. (invited presentation)

Smith, J., Connell, P., Evans, R.H, Gellene, A.G., Howard, M.D.A., Jones, B.H., Kaveggia, S., Palmer, L., Schnetzer, A., Seegers, B.N., Seubert, E. L., Tatters, A. O., and Caron, D.A. 2017. A decade and a half of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and domoic acid along the coast of southern California. 9th Symposium on Harmful Algae, California, USA. Nov 2017. (contributed talk + poster)

Smith, J. 2017. Examining Potential Triggers of Toxic Pseudo-nitzschia Blooms in the Southern California Bight Region. USC Women in Science and Engineering Bytes Seminar, California, USA. Oct 2017. (invited talk)

Smith, J., A.G. Gellene, C. Cash, M. Dojiri, and D.A. Caron. 2017. A ‘Natural’ Experiment in Santa Monica Bay, California: Potential Changes in the Microbial Loop in Response to Anthropogenic Nutrient Input. Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Hawaii, USA. Feb 2017. (poster)

Smith, J. 2016. Coastal Anthropogenic Nutrient Input and Algal Blooms: A ‘Natural’ Experiment in Santa Monica Bay, California. USC Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography Department Seminar, California, USA. Jan 2016. (invited talk)

Smith, J., A.G. Gellene, A. Booth, M. Dojiri, J.C. Ohlmann, A.J. Lucas, C. Cash, and D.A. Caron. 2015. Coastal Anthropogenic Nutrient Input and Harmful Algal Blooms: A ‘Natural’ Experiment in Santa Monica Bay, California. 8th Symposium on Harmful Algae, California, USA. Nov 2015. (contributed talk)

Caron, D.A., A.O. Tatters, A.G. Gellene, J. Smith, M.D.A Howard, C. Nagoda, and L. Busse. 2015. “Go West, Young Haptophyte”: Fish Kills Attributable to Prymnesium parvum Spread to Southern California. 8th Symposium on Harmful Algae, California, USA. Nov 2015. (contributed talk)

Ryan, J., J. Birch, H.A. Bowers, D.A. Caron, G. Doucette, A.G. Gellene, K. Hubbard, R. Kudela, R. Martin III, C. Mikulski, K. Negrey, C. Scholin, G.J. Smith, J. Smith, A. Woods. 2015.Ecological Dynamics in California HAB Hotspots: Eddy Incubation, Retention, and Subsurface Refugia. 8th Symposium on Harmful Algae, California, USA. Nov 2015. (contributed talk)

Smith, J, A.G. Gellene, P. Connell, V. Campbell, E.L. Seubert, D.A. Caron. 2013. The influence of nutrient and light perturbations on natural phytoplankton assemblages containing the toxin-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. 7th Symposium on Harmful Algae, Florida, USA. Oct 2013. (poster)

Publications


Journal Articles

Lie, A., A.G. Zimmer-Faust, R.E. Diner, E. Kunselman, Z. Daniel, K. Van Artsdalen, M.C. Salas Garcia, J.A. Gilbert, D. Shultz, J. Chokry, K. Langlois, J. Smith. 2024. Understanding the risks of co-exposures in a changing world: a case study of dual monitoring of the biotoxin domoic acid and Vibrio spp. in Pacific oyster. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 196:447.

Smith, J., J.A. Cram, M.P. Berndt, V. Hoard, D. Shultz, A.C. Deming. 2023. Quantifying the linkages between California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) strandings and particulate domoic acid concentrations at piers across Southern California. Frontiers in Marine Science 10:1278293.

Smith, J., E. Eggleston, M.D.A. Howard, S. Ryan, J. Gichuki, K. Kennedy, A. Tyler, M. Beck, S. Huie, D.A. Caron. 2023. Historic and recent trends of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms and environmental conditions in Clear Lake, California: A 70-year perspective. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene DOI:10.1525/elementa.2022.00115.

Kenitz, K.M., E.C. Orenstein, C.R. Anderson, A.J. Barth, C. Briseno-Avena, D.A. Caron, M.L. Carter, E. Eggleston, P.J.S. Franks, J.T. Fumo, J.S. Jaffe, K.A. McBeain, A. Odell, K. Seech, R. Shipe, J. Smith, D.A.A. Taniguchi, E.L. Venrick, A.D. Barton. 2023. Convening Expert Taxonomists to Build Image Libraries for Training Automated Classifiers. Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin DOI:10.1002/lob.10584.

Sandoval-Belmar, M., J. Smith, A.R. Moreno, C. Anderson, R.M. Kudela, M. Sutula, F. Kessouri, D.A. Caron, F.P. Chavez, D. Bianchi. 2023. A cross-regional examination of patterns and environmental drivers of Pseudo-nitzschia harmful algal blooms along the California coast. Harmful Algae 126:102435.

Kenitz, K.M., C.R. Anderson, M.L. Carter, E. Eggleston, K. Seech, R. Shipe, J. Smith, E.C. Orenstein, P.J.S. Franks, J.S. Jaffe, A.D. Barton . 2023. Environmental and ecological drivers of harmful algal blooms revealed by automated underwater microscopy. Limnology and Oceanography 9999:1-18.

Kenkel, C.D., J. Smith, K.A. Hubbard, C. Chadwick, N. Lorenzen, A.O. Tatters, D.A. Caron. 2022. Reduced representation sequencing accurately quantifies relative abundance and reveals population-level variation in Pseudo-nitzschia ssp.. Harmful Algae 118:1-13.

Ollison, G.A., S.K. Hu, J.V. Hopper, B.P. Stewart, J. Smith, J.L. Beatty, L.K. Rink, D.A. Caron. 2022. Daily dynamics of contrasting spring algal blooms in Santa Monica Bay (central Southern California Bight). Environmental Microbiology 2022:1-19.

Howard, M.D.A., J. Smith, D.A. Caron, R.M. Kudela, K. Loftin, K. Hayashi, R. Fadness, S. Fricke, J. Kann, M. Roethler, A. Tatters, S. Theroux. 2022. Integrative monitoring strategy for marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and toxins across the freshwater‐to‐marine continuum. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management DOI:10.1002/ieam.4651.

Smith, J., D. Shultz, M.D.A. Howard, G. Robertson, V. Phonsiri, V. Renick, D.A. Caron, R.M. Kudela, K. McLaughlin. 2021. Persistent domoic acid in marine sediments and benthic infauna along the coast of Southern California. Harmful Algae DOI:10.1016/j.hal.2021.102103.

Wang, P., B. Du, J. Smith, W. Lao, C.S. Wong, E.Y. Zeng. 2021. Development and field evaluation of the organic-diffusive gradients in thin-films (o-DGT) passive water sampler for microcystins. Chemosphere 287:132079. DOI:10.3389/fmicb.2021.674214.

Mehinto, A.C., J. Smith, E. Wenger, B. Stanton, R. Linville, B.W. Brooks, M.A. Saluta, M.D.A. Howard. 2021. Synthesis of ecotoxicological studies on cyanotoxins in freshwater habitats – Evaluating the basis for developing thresholds protective of aquatic life in the United States. Science of the Total Environment DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148864.

Tatters, A.O., J. Smith, R.M. Kudela, K. Hayashi, M.D.A. Howard, A.R. Donovan, K.A. Loftin, D.A. Caron. 2021. The tide turns: Episodic and localized cross-contamination of a California coastline with cyanotoxins. Harmful Algae DOI:10.1016/j.hal.2021.102003.

Smith, J., A. Lie, E.L. Seubert, N. Crowley, G. Robertson, D.A. Caron. 2019. Co-occurring Dissolved Algal Toxins Observed at Multiple Coastal Sites in Southern California via Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking. Toxicon DOI:10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.10.005.

Smith, J., P. Connell, R.H. Evans, A.G. Gellene, M.D.A. Howard, B.H. Jones, S. Kaveggia, L. Palmer, A. Schnetzer, B.N. Seegers, E.L. Seubert, A.O. Tatters, D.A. Caron. 2018. A decade and a half of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and domoic acid along the coast of southern California. Harmful Algae DOI:10.1016/j.hal.2018.07.007.

Caron, D.A., A.G. Gellene, J. Smith, E.L. Seubert, V. Campbell, G.S. Suhatme, B. Seegers, B.H. Jones, A.A.Y. Lie, R. Terrado, M.D.A. Howard, R.M. Kudela, K. Hayashi, J. Ryan, J. Birch, E. Demir-Hilton, K. Yamahara, C. Scholin, M. Mengel, G. Robertson. 2017. Response of phytoplankton and bacterial biomass during a wastewater effluent diversion into nearshore coastal waters. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 186:223-236.

Smith J., Gellene, A.G., Hubbard, K.A., Bowers, H.A., Kudela, R.M., Negrey, K., and Caron, D.A., 2018. Pseudo-nitzschia species composition affects domoic acid in the plankton during two consecutive years in the Southern California Bight. Journal of Plankton Research.

Seubert, E.L., Gellene, A.G., Campbell, V., Smith, J., Robertson, G. and Caron, D.A., 2017. Incubation experiments to determine the response of a natural plankton community to treated sewage effluent. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

Trinh, R. C., Fichot, C.G., Gierach, M.M., Holt, B., Malakar, N. K., Hulley, G., Smith, J., 2017. Application of Landsat 8 for monitoring impacts of wastewater discharge on coastal water quality. Frontiers in Marine Science.

Technical Reports

Smith, J., D. Shultz, A. Lie, S. Theroux. 2023. Diversity and Prevalence of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins in Los Angeles Region Recreational Lakes and Reservoirs. Technical Report 1309. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Florea, K., B. Stewart, E. Webb, D.A. Caron, J. Smith. 2022. Environmental Drivers of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms and Cyanotoxins in Clear Lake: 2020-2021. Technical Report 1261. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Smith, J., M. Sutula, K. Bourma-Gregson, M. Van Dyke. 2021. California Water Boards’ Framework and Strategy for Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring: Full Report with Appendices. Technical Report 1141.B. California State Water Resources Control Board. Sacramento, CA.

Smith, J., M. Sutula, K. Bourma-Gregson, M. Van Dyke. 2021. California Water Boards’ Framework and Strategy for Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring: Executive Synthesis. Technical Report 1141.A. California State Water Resources Control Board. Sacramento, CA.

Smith, J., D. Shultz, M.D.A. Howard, G. Robertson, V. Phonsiri, V. Renick, D.A. Caron, R. Kudela, K. McLaughlin. 2021. Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program: Volume VIII. Harmful Algal Blooms. Technical Report 1170. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Du, B., J. Smith, K. Maruya, C.S. Wong. 2020. Comparison of Novel Passive Sampling Methods to Identify Cyanotoxins and their Sources. Technical Report 1123. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Schiff, K.C., E.D. Stein, S. Aminzadeh, A. Boehm, G. Hildebrand, L. Honeybourne, I. Nasseri, P. Ode, S. Taylor, D. Senn, J. Smith, C. Sommers, E. Strecker. 2014. Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition 2014 Research Agenda. Technical Report 828. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority. Costa Mesa, CA.