Assistant Professor

Research Interests:

Ocean instrumentation, passive acoustic monitoring, movement ecology, oceanography, conservation technology, marine bioacoustics, sensors, signal processing, data science, oceanographic engineering

For more information, visit the Marine Innovation Lab for Leading-edge Oceanography (MILLO) website: https://pagniello-lab.github.io/

Professional Preparation

  • PhD Oceanography, Certificate in Engineering Leadership & Micro-MBA, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (2021)
    • Thesis: “Advancing the study of fish populations in marine protected areas using passive acoustics and optical imaging” advised by J.S. Jaffe, Jaffe Laboratory for Underwater Imaging, Marine Physical Laboratory
  • MS, Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (2016)
  • BSc Honours Co-op Marine Biology & Physics, Minor in Math & Ocean Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (2015)
    • Thesis: “Spatial and temporal variation in water mass characteristics and the normalized zooplankton biomass size spectrum in Northumberland Strait” advised by C.T. Taggart, Fisheries Oceanography Lab, Department of Oceanography
  • Sea Education Association (SEA), Boston University, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Oceans and Climate (S-250), 45 days at sea from San Diego to Tahiti aboard SSV Robert C. Seamans, (2013)
    • Thesis: “The impacts of ocean acidification on the geographic distribution, species composition and species diversity of thecosome pteropods” advised by A. Meyer, SEA Education Association

Appointments

  • University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Honolulu, Hawai‘i
    • Assistant Professor of Oceanographic Engineering, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering  (2025 – present)
    • Assistant Researcher & SOEST Early Career Research Fellow, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (2024 – 2025)
  • Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, California
    • Postdoctoral Fellow advised by B. Block, Oceans Department, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (2021 – 2023)
    • Research: Marine top predators as sentinels of climate change at ecologically important scales

Awards, Fellowships & Honors

  • SOEST Early Career Research Fellowship, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa                                                                           2023

  • Best Postdoc Talk, Stanford Data for Sustainability Conference                                                                                                  2023

  • Knauss Fellowship Finalist, NOAA Sea Grant                                                                                                                       declined 2021

  • Ada Lovelace Fellowship, Open Source Hardware Association                                                                                                     2021

  • SIO Graduate Gordon Scholar, Gordon Engineering Leadership Center at UC San Diego                                           2018

  • Bell Graduate Scholarship, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada                      2016 – 2019

  • Best Student Talk – Nearshore, 4th Annual Scripps Student Symposium                                                                                  2017

  • Regents Fellowship, University of California San Diego                                                                                                                    2015

  • First Class Honours, Dalhousie University                                                                                                                                                2015

  • Clowes Presidential Scholarship, Sea Education Association                                                                                                       2013

  • Summer Student Fellowship, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution                                                                                   2013

  • NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Dalhousie University                                                                    2014, ‘15

  • Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Scholarship, Marine Technology Society                                                                    2014

  • NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Memorial University of Newfoundland                            2012, ‘13

  • Burgess McKittrick Prize in Physics, Dalhousie University                                                                                                          2012

  • Charles Bussmann Undergraduate Scholarship, Marine Technology Society                                                          2011, ‘12

Publications

See Google Scholar Profile for complete list: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SAdTEvsAAAAJ&hl=en

Students I have mentored are underlined. * indicates shared first authorship.

  • Andrzejaczek, S, DiGiacomo, A, Mikles, C, Pagniello, C, Reimer, T, & Block, B. (2024). Lunar cycle effects on pelagic predators and fisheries: insights into tuna, billfish, sharks, and rays. Reviews in Fish Biology & Fisheries.
  • Ferter, K*, Pagniello, C*, … (2024). Northernmost electronic tagging of Atlantic bluefin tuna reveals distinct diving behaviors in different oceanographic provinces. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 291: 20241501.
  • Pagniello, C, Castleton, M, Carlisle, A, Chapple, T, Schallert, R, Fedak, M, & Block, B. (2024). Novel CTD tag establishes shark fins as ocean observing platforms in the Gulf of Alaska. Scientific Reports, 14, 13837.
  • Oliver, R, …, Pagniello, C, …, & Zimmerman, N. (2024). Opening a conversation on responsible environmental data science in the age of generative AI. Environmental Data Science, 3, e14.
  • Pagniello, C, Ó Maoiléidigh, N, …, Drumm, A, O’Neill, R, & Block, B. (2023). Tagging of Atlantic bluefin tuna off Ireland reveals use of distinct oceanographic hotspots. Progress in Oceanography, 209, 103135.
  • Butler, J & Pagniello, C. (2021). Emerging, low-cost ocean observing technologies to democratize access to the ocean. Oceanography – Frontiers in Ocean Observing Supplement, 34(4), 94-95.
  • Pagniello, C, Butler, J, Rosen, A, Sherwood, A, …, Jaffe, J & Širović, A. (2021). An optical imaging system to capture images in low-light aquatic habitats using only ambient light. Oceanography, 34(3), 71-77.
  • Butler, J, Pagniello, C, Jaffe, J, Parnell, P & Širović, A. (2021). Diel and seasonal variability in kelp forest soundscapes off the Southern California coast. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8: 357.
  • Pagniello, C, Cimino, M & Terrill, E. (2019). Mapping fish chorus distributions in Southern California using an autonomous wave glider. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6: 526.

Courses Taught

ORE 653: Ocean Instrumentation and Technology 

Services

  • Conference Organization:
    • US CLIVAR Optimizing Ocean Observing Networks for Detecting the Coastal Climate Signal Workshop,  Discussion Leader for Breakout Sessions (Fall 2024)
    • 74th Tuna Conference, Session Moderator for “Session Moderator for “Putting it all together to improve  assessment and management”    (Spring 2024)
    • 2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session Chair for “Connecting ocean science, conservation and management needs and solutions through emerging technologies and approaches (Spring 2022)
    • 2020 OSM, Session Chair for “New technologies and methods in fisheries science” (Feb 2020)
    • 178th Acoustical Society of America, Local Organizing Committee   (Fall 2019)
    •  Scripps Student Symposium, Website Designer and On-Site Coordinator   (Summer 2018)
    • 2018 & 2020 OSM, Student Representative for The Oceanography Society on Program Committee (AY 2016 – 2020)
      • Organizer of Non-Academic Career Panels as well as Student and Early Career Conference
    • Session Reviewer for Marine Ecology & Biodiversity; Ocean Observatories, Instrumentation & Sensing Technologies
    • OCEANS ‘14 MTS/IEEE, Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (Fall 2014)
      • (MEOPAR) Student Activities and Booth Coordinator
      • OCEANS ‘15 MTS/IEEE, Local Organizing Committee and Student Activities Chair (AY 2013 – 2015)
    • MATE ROV Competition, Ocean Career Expo Coordinator  (Summer 2013)

  • Academic Service at Stanford University:
    • Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Postdoc Advisory Committee to the Dean, Co-Chair (AY 2022 – 2023)
    • Hopkins Marine Station Faculty Meetings, Postdoc Representative  (AY 2022 – 2023)
    • Hopkins Marine Station Weekly Seminar, Lead Organizer  (Winter 2022)

  • Academic Service at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO):
    • SIO Biological Oceanography Faculty Hiring, Student Search Committee Member ( Oct 2020)
    • SIO Oceans & Atmosphere Section Researcher Hiring, Student Search Committee Chair (Oct 2019)
    • SIO/ECE Signal Processing Faculty Hiring, Student Search Committee Chair (May 2019)
    • SIO Graduate Student Council, AOS Curricular Group Student Rep (AY 2018 – 2019)
    • SIO Academic External Review, Student Committee Chair  (Nov 2017)
    • SIO Ocean Acoustics Faculty Hiring, Student Search Committee Chair    (Oct 2017)
    • SIO Applied Ocean Sciences Weekly Seminar, Lead Organizer  (AY 2016 – 2017)
    • SIO Graduate Student Council, Founder & Senior Co-Chair  (AY 2016 – 2018)

  • Student and Early Career Representative for Professional Societies:
    • Acoustical Society of America, Animal Bioacoustics Substitute Student Rep ( Fall 2017)
    • Marine Technology Society
      • Vice Chair, Early Career Ocean Professionals Section  (AY 2020 – 2022)
      • Student Rep to the Council  (AY 2012 – 2014)
      • At-Large Student Representative  (Fall 2011)

  • Guest Editor:
    • DIY Oceanography Section of Oceanography (Jun 2023 – present

  • Journal Reviewer:
    • Animal Biotelemetry, Conservation Science and Practice, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Lighting Research & Technology, Scientific Data, PLOS One