Glen Gawarkiewicz

Dr. Glen Gawarkiewicz is a senior physical oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution whose work focuses on the rapidly changing conditions of the U.S. Northeast Shelf. He studies how currents, fronts, and offshore forces shape the environment along the continental shelf break – a dynamic region where shelf and slope waters meet, mix, and influence ecological patterns across the region.

Gawarkiewicz has been deeply involved with the OOI Coastal Pioneer Array since its inception, using its moorings, gliders, and sustained measurements to publish new insights into shelfbreak dynamics. His research has shown how shifts in the Gulf Stream and the passage of warm-core rings drive intrusions of anomalously warm and salty water onto the shelf, alter cross-shelf transport, and reshape thermal and salinity structure. OOI’s continuous, high-resolution records have enabled him to document rapid marine heatwaves, identify new modes of shelf–slope exchange, and reveal how offshore variability propagates into coastal ecosystems.

In addition to his scientific contributions, Gawarkiewicz works closely with regional fishing communities to link these published observations with on-the-water experience. By drawing on OOI data, he helps translate changing ocean conditions into information that supports fisheries awareness, ecosystem understanding, and coastal resilience.