Jamie Steichen

Instructional Assistant Professor
Department of Marine Biology

"With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you're connected to the sea." – Sylvia Earle

Learn more about Jamie Steichen

What in your life drew you to your current field of study?

While growing up in Wisconsin, I was not exposed to the marine environment until my early teen years at which point I fell in love with the ocean. During this stage of my life, my Mom would listen to relaxing music with whale songs which was also intriguing to me. Although the idea of studying the communication patterns of whales peaked my interest in this field, I ultimately ended up conducting research on phytoplankton! I have been continually enamored by these amazing microscopic organisms that have an immense impact on our global ecosystem.

What do you hope your students gain from studying or working with you?

I work to provide my students with a fun and engaging experience both in the classroom and in our field adventures. One of my goals is to challenge my students to question everything as they learn and to think critically in all aspects of their life, especially in the sciences. I believe that we learn more effectively when we are engaged in active learning and therefore I take a very hands-on approach in my courses.

I also want my students to know that I am here for them as a resource as they make their way through their academic journey. One of the best rewards in this position is to hear success stories from current and previous students.

What are you passionate about in your personal life?

Enjoying time with my family and friends is a very important part of my life. I also enjoy biking, live music and spending time on the water or at the beach swimming and paddle boarding.

Publications

Quigg, A., Claflin, N., Kamalanathan, M., Labonté, J.M. and Steichen, J.L., 2024. Response of a Phytoplankton Community in a Subtropical Estuary to a Pulse Disturbance Driven by a Combo Hurricane and Extreme Rainfall Event. Estuaries and Coasts, 47(4), pp.1032-1051. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01352-9

Steichen, J.L., Gonzalez, L. and Quigg, A., 2024. Seasonal and spatial variations between the fish community and environmental factors in a subtropical estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 301, p.108753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2024.108753

Quigg, A., Claflin, N., Kamalanathan, M., Labonté, J.M. and Steichen, J.L., 2024. Response of a phytoplankton community in a subtropical estuary to a pulse disturbance driven by a combo hurricane and rainfall event. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3802441/v1

Walker, J.R., Woods, A.C., Pierce, M.K., Steichen, J.L., Quigg, A., Kaiser, K. and Labonté, J.M., 2022. Functionally diverse microbial communities show resilience in response to a record-breaking rain event. ISME communications, 2(1), p.81. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-022-00162-z

Gonzalez, L.A., Quigg, A., Steichen, J.L., Gelwick, F.P. and Lester, L.J., 2021. A new approach to functionally assess estuarine fish communities in response to hydrologic change. Estuaries and Coasts, 44(4), pp.1118-1131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00824-y

Steichen, J.L., Labonté, J.M., Windham, R., Hala, D., Kaiser, K., Setta, S., Faulkner, P.C., Bacosa, H., Yan, G., Kamalanathan, M. and Quigg, A., 2020. Microbial, physical, and chemical changes in Galveston Bay following an extreme flooding event, Hurricane Harvey. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 186. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00186

Bacosa, H.P., Steichen, J., Kamalanathan, M., Windham, R., Lubguban, A., Labonté, J.M., Kaiser, K., Hala, D., Santschi, P.H. and Quigg, A., 2020. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and putative PAH-degrading bacteria in Galveston Bay, TX (USA), following Hurricane Harvey (2017). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-09754-5

Gonzalez, L.A., Quigg, A., Steichen, J.L., Gelwick, F.P. and Lester, L.J. 2020. Decadal changes in an estuarine fish community: Does the functional group approach provide new insights into freshwater inflows? Estuaries and Coasts. (In review)

Steichen, J.L. and Quigg, A., 2018. Fish species as indicators of freshwater inflow within a subtropical estuary in the Gulf of Mexico. Ecological Indicators, 85, 180-189. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.10.018

Steichen, J.L. and Quigg, A., 2015. Assessing the viability of microorganisms in the ballast water of vessels transiting the North Atlantic Ocean. Marine pollution bulletin, 101(1), 258-266. doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.09.055

Steichen, J.L., Denby, A., Windham, R., Brinkmeyer, R. and Quigg, A., 2015. A tale of two ports: Dinoflagellate and diatom communities found in the high ship traffic region of Galveston Bay, Texas (USA). Journal of Coastal Research, 31(2), 407-416. doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-13-00225.1

Dorado, S., Booe, T., Steichen, J., McInnes, A.S., Windham, R., Shepard, A., Lucchese, A.E., Preischel, H., Pinckney, J.L., Davis, S.E. and Roelke, D.L., 2015. Towards an understanding of the interactions between freshwater inflows and phytoplankton communities in a subtropical estuary in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS One, 10(7), doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130931

Steichen, J.L., Schulze, A., Brinkmeyer, R. and Quigg, A., 2014. All aboard! A biological survey of ballast water onboard vessels spanning the North Atlantic Ocean. Marine pollution bulletin, 87(1-2), 201-210. doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.07.058

Steichen, J.L., Windham, R., Brinkmeyer, R. and Quigg, A., 2012. Ecosystem under pressure: Ballast water discharge into Galveston Bay, Texas (USA) from 2005 to 2010. Marine pollution bulletin, 64(4), 779-789. doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.01.028

Contact Info

Jamie Steichen
Instructional Assistant Professor
Department of Marine Biology

jamie.steichen@tamu.edu

Phone: +1 (409) 740-4764

Fax: +1 (409) 740-5001

Ocean & Coastal Studies Bldg., Office 248

Website