Bio


I am an engineer and oceanographer who is interested in studying how physical processes shape coastal waters – combining principles of fluid mechanics, oceanography, and ecology. I use both field observations and numerical tools to examine circulation in the ocean, its natural variability, and influence on marine ecosystems and human-nature interactions. I joined Stanford department of Oceans in 2024. Before that, I was an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.

Academic Appointments


  • Associate Professor, Oceans
  • Associate Professor (By courtesy), Civil and Environmental Engineering

2024-25 Courses


Stanford Advisees


All Publications


  • Intensification of future subsurface marine heatwaves in an eddy-resolving model NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Guo, X., Gao, Y., Zhang, S., Cai, W., Chen, D., Leung, L., Zscheischler, J., Thompson, L., Davis, K., Qu, B., Gao, H., Wu, L. 2024; 15 (1): 10777

    Abstract

    A shift in depth range enables marine organisms to adapt to marine heatwaves (MHWs). Subsurface MHWs could limit this pathway, yet their response to climate warming remains unclear. Here, using an eddy-resolving Earth system model forced under a high emission scenario, we project a robust global increase in subsurface MHWs driven by rising subsurface mean temperatures and enhanced temperature variability. Historically, maximum MHW intensity occurs around 100 m depth, which shifts to the faster-warming surface under greenhouse warming. However, removing the long-term warming trend yields an increase in subsurface MHW intensity and annual days greater than that at the surface, especially in large marine ecosystem regions, primarily due to increased variability. Additionally, days of the surface and subsurface concurrent event increase ten times more than those of individual events. Our study highlights a heightened threat to marine organisms under global warming, as the increased subsurface heatwaves reduce their refuge options.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-54946-z

    View details for Web of Science ID 001389340100050

    View details for PubMedID 39737949

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11685619

  • Insights Into Internal Solitary Waves East of Dongsha Atoll From Integrating Geostationary Satellite and Mooring Observations JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Cheng, Y., Chang, M., Yang, Y., Jan, S., Ramp, S. R., Davis, K. A., Reeder, D. 2024; 129 (8)
  • Nutrient Replenishment by Turbulent Mixing in Suspended Macroalgal Farms GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS Bo, T., McWilliams, J. C., Frieder, C. A., Davis, K. A., Chamecki, M. 2024; 51 (14)
  • Large global variations in the carbon dioxide removal potential of seaweed farming due to biophysical constraints (vol 4, 185 , 2023) COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT Arzeno-Soltero, I. B., Saenz, B. T., Frieder, C. A., Long, M. C., Deangelo, J., Davis, S. J., Davis, K. A. 2024; 5 (1)
  • Seaweed blue carbon: Ready? Or Not? MARINE POLICY Fujita, R., Augyte, S., Bender, J., Brittingham, P., Buschmann, A. H., Chalfin, M., Collins, J., Davis, K. A., Gallagher, J., Gentry, R., Gruby, R. L., Kleisner, K., Moritsch, M., Price, N., Roberson, L., Taylor, J., Yarish, C. 2023; 155
  • Large global variations in the carbon dioxide removal potential of seaweed farming due to biophysical constraints COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT Arzeno-Soltero, I. B., Saenz, B. T., Frieder, C. A., Long, M. C., DeAngelo, J., Davis, S. J., Davis, K. A. 2023; 4 (1)
  • Author Correction: Economic and biophysical limits to seaweed farming for climate change mitigation. Nature plants DeAngelo, J., Saenz, B. T., Arzeno-Soltero, I. B., Frieder, C. A., Long, M. C., Hamman, J., Davis, K. A., Davis, S. J. 2023

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41477-023-01393-1

    View details for PubMedID 36918722

  • Economic and biophysical limits to seaweed farming for climate change mitigation. Nature plants DeAngelo, J., Saenz, B. T., Arzeno-Soltero, I. B., Frieder, C. A., Long, M. C., Hamman, J., Davis, K. A., Davis, S. J. 2022

    Abstract

    Net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets are driving interest in opportunities for biomass-based negative emissions and bioenergy, including from marine sources such as seaweed. Yet the biophysical and economic limits to farming seaweed at scales relevant to the global carbon budget have not been assessed in detail. We use coupled seaweed growth and technoeconomic models to estimate the costs of global seaweed production and related climate benefits, systematically testing the relative importance of model parameters. Under our most optimistic assumptions, sinking farmed seaweed to the deep sea to sequester a gigaton of CO2 per year costs as little as US$480 per tCO2 on average, while using farmed seaweed for products that avoid a gigaton of CO2-equivalent GHG emissions annually could return a profit of $50 per tCO2-eq. However, these costs depend on low farming costs, high seaweed yields, and assumptions that almost all carbon in seaweed is removed from the atmosphere (that is, competition between phytoplankton and seaweed is negligible) and that seaweed products can displace products with substantial embodied non-CO2 GHG emissions. Moreover, the gigaton-scale climate benefits we model would require farming very large areas (>90,000km2)-a >30-fold increase in the area currently farmed. Our results therefore suggest that seaweed-based climate benefits may be feasible, but targeted research and demonstrations are needed to further reduce economic and biophysical uncertainties.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41477-022-01305-9

    View details for PubMedID 36564631

  • Seasonal hypoxia and temperature inversions in a tropical bay LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Adelson, A. E., Altieri, A. H., Boza, X., Collin, R., Davis, K. A., Gaul, A., Giddings, S. N., Reed, V., Pawlak, G. 2022; 67 (10): 2174-2189

    View details for DOI 10.1002/lno.12196

    View details for Web of Science ID 000835411600001

  • On Internal Tides Driving Residual Currents and Upwelling on an Island JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Rogers, J. S., Mayer, F. T., Davis, K. A., Fringer, O. B. 2022; 127 (7)
  • Diurnal Thermally Driven Cross-Shore Exchange in Steady Alongshore Currents JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Safaie, A., Pawlak, E., Davis, K. A. 2022; 127 (4)
  • Solitary Waves Impinging on an Isolated Tropical Reef: Arrival Patterns and Wave Transformation Under Shoaling JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Ramp, S. R., Yang, Y., Jan, S., Chang, M., Davis, K. A., Sinnett, G., Bahr, F. L., Reeder, D. B., Ko, D. S., Pawlak, G. 2022; 127 (3)
  • Seismic Detection of Oceanic Internal Gravity Waves From Subaerial Seismometers AGU ADVANCES Shaddox, H. R., Brodsky, E. E., Ramp, S. R., Davis, K. A. 2021; 2 (3)
  • Residual streaming flows in buoyancy-driven cross-shore exchange JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS Coenen, W., Sanchez, A. L., Felez, R., Davis, K. A., Pawlak, G. 2021; 920
  • Direct measurements reveal instabilities and turbulence within large amplitude internal solitary waves beneath the ocean COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT Chang, M., Cheng, Y., Yang, Y., Jan, S., Ramp, S. R., Reeder, D., Hsieh, W., Ko, D. S., Davis, K. A., Shao, H., Tseng, R. 2021; 2 (1)
  • Physical Processes Determine Spatial Structure in Water Temperature and Residence Time on a Wide Reef Flat JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Reid, E. C., Lentz, S. J., DeCarlo, T. M., Cohen, A. L., Davis, K. A. 2020; 125 (12)
  • Distributed Temperature Sensing for Oceanographic Applications JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TECHNOLOGY Sinnett, G., Davis, K. A., Lucas, A. J., Giddings, S. N., Reid, E., Harvey, M. E., Stokes, I. 2020; 37 (11): 1987-1997
  • Fate of Internal Waves on a Shallow Shelf JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Davis, K. A., Arthur, R. S., Reid, E. C., Rogers, J. S., Fringer, O. B., Decarlo, T. M., Cohen, A. L. 2020; 125 (5)
  • Turbulence and Coral Reefs. Annual review of marine science Davis, K. A., Pawlak, G. n., Monismith, S. G. 2020

    Abstract

    The interaction of coral reefs, both chemically and physically, with the surrounding seawater is governed, at the smallest scales, by turbulence. Here, we review recent progress in understanding turbulence in the unique setting of coral reefs-how it influences flow and the exchange of mass and momentum both above and within the complex geometry of coral reef canopies. Flow above reefs diverges from canonical rough boundary layers due to their large and highly heterogeneous roughness and the influence of surface waves. Within coral canopies, turbulence is dominated by large coherent structures that transport momentum both into and away from the canopy, but it is also generated at smaller scales as flow is forced to move around branches or blades, creating wakes. Future work interpreting reef-related observations or numerical models should carefully consider the influence that spatial variation has on momentum and scalar flux. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Marine Science, Volume 13 is January 3, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

    View details for DOI 10.1146/annurev-marine-042120-071823

    View details for PubMedID 32762591

  • Internal waves influence the thermal and nutrient environment on a shallow coral reef LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Reid, E. C., DeCarlo, T. M., Cohen, A. L., Wong, G. F., Lentz, S. J., Safaie, A., Hall, A., Davis, K. A. 2019; 64 (5): 1949-1965

    View details for DOI 10.1002/lno.11162

    View details for Web of Science ID 000485001400009

  • Heterotrophy of Oceanic Particulate Organic Matter Elevates Net Ecosystem Calcification GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS Kealoha, A. K., Shamberger, K. F., Reid, E. C., Davis, K. A., Lentz, S. J., Brainard, R. E., Oliver, T. A., Rappe, M. S., Roark, E., Rii, Y. M. 2019; 46 (16): 9851-9860
  • Temporal Variability in Thermally Driven Cross-Shore Exchange: The Role of Semidiurnal Tides JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Ulloa, H. N., Davis, K. A., Monismith, S. G., Pawlak, G. 2018; 48 (7): 1513–31
  • Coral Reef Drag CoefficientsSurface Gravity Wave Enhancement JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Lentz, S. J., Churchill, J. H., Davis, K. A. 2018; 48 (7): 1555-1566
  • High frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching (vol 9, 2018) NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Safaie, A., Silbiger, N. J., McClanahan, T. R., Pawlak, G., Barshis, D. J., Hench, J. L., Rogers, J. S., Williams, G. J., Davis, K. A. 2018; 9: 2244

    Abstract

    The original version of the Article was missing an acknowledgement of a funding source. The authors acknowledge that A. Safaie and K.Davis were supported by National Science Foundation Award No. 1436254 and G. Pawlak was supported by Award No. 1436522. This omission has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

    View details for PubMedID 29872073

  • High frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Safaie, A., Silbiger, N. J., McClanahan, T. R., Pawlak, G., Barshis, D. J., Hench, J. L., Rogers, J. S., Williams, G. J., Davis, K. A. 2018; 9: 1671

    Abstract

    Coral bleaching is the detrimental expulsion of algal symbionts from their cnidarian hosts, and predominantly occurs when corals are exposed to thermal stress. The incidence and severity of bleaching is often spatially heterogeneous within reef-scales (<1 km), and is therefore not predictable using conventional remote sensing products. Here, we systematically assess the relationship between in situ measurements of 20 environmental variables, along with seven remotely sensed SST thermal stress metrics, and 81 observed bleaching events at coral reef locations spanning five major reef regions globally. We find that high-frequency temperature variability (i.e., daily temperature range) was the most influential factor in predicting bleaching prevalence and had a mitigating effect, such that a 1 °C increase in daily temperature range would reduce the odds of more severe bleaching by a factor of 33. Our findings suggest that reefs with greater high-frequency temperature variability may represent particularly important opportunities to conserve coral ecosystems against the major threat posed by warming ocean temperatures.

    View details for PubMedID 29700296

  • Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Chlorophyll Concentration in the Southern California Bight JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Nezlin, N. P., McLaughlin, K., Booth, J. T., Cash, C. L., Diehl, D. W., Davis, K. A., Feit, A., Goericke, R., Gully, J. R., Howard, M. A., Johnson, S., Latker, A., Mengel, M. J., Robertson, G. L., Steele, A., Terriquez, L., Washburn, L., Weisberg, S. B. 2018; 123 (1): 231-245
  • Predicting persistence in benthic marine species with complex life cycles: linking dispersal dynamics to redistribution potential and thermal tolerance limits MARINE BIOLOGY Sorte, C. B., Pandori, L. M., Cai, S., Davis, K. A. 2018; 165 (1)
  • Coral Reef Drag Coefficients - Water Depth Dependence JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Lentz, S. J., Davis, K. A., Churchill, J. H., DeCarlo, T. M. 2017; 47 (5): 1061-1075
  • Mass coral mortality under local amplification of 2 °C ocean warming SCIENTIFIC REPORTS DeCarlo, T. M., Cohen, A. L., Wong, G. F., Davis, K. A., Lohmann, P., Soong, K. 2017; 7: 44586

    Abstract

    A 2 °C increase in global temperature above pre-industrial levels is considered a reasonable target for avoiding the most devastating impacts of anthropogenic climate change. In June 2015, sea surface temperature (SST) of the South China Sea (SCS) increased by 2 °C in response to the developing Pacific El Niño. On its own, this moderate, short-lived warming was unlikely to cause widespread damage to coral reefs in the region, and the coral reef "Bleaching Alert" alarm was not raised. However, on Dongsha Atoll, in the northern SCS, unusually weak winds created low-flow conditions that amplified the 2 °C basin-scale anomaly. Water temperatures on the reef flat, normally indistinguishable from open-ocean SST, exceeded 6 °C above normal summertime levels. Mass coral bleaching quickly ensued, killing 40% of the resident coral community in an event unprecedented in at least the past 40 years. Our findings highlight the risks of 2 °C ocean warming to coral reef ecosystems when global and local processes align to drive intense heating, with devastating consequences.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/srep44586

    View details for Web of Science ID 000397164600001

    View details for PubMedID 28333165

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5363223

  • Local diurnal wind-driven variability and upwelling in a small coastal embayment JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Walter, R. K., Reid, E. C., Davis, K. A., Armenta, K. J., Merhoff, K., Nidzieko, N. J. 2017; 122 (2): 955-972
  • Community production modulates coral reef pH and the sensitivity of ecosystem calcification to ocean acidification JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS DeCarlo, T. M., Cohen, A. L., Wong, G. F., Shiah, F., Lentz, S. J., Davis, K. A., Shamberger, K. F., Lohmann, P. 2017; 122 (1): 745-761
  • Deconstructing Demand: The Anthropogenic and Climatic Drivers of Urban Water Consumption ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Hemati, A., Rippy, M. A., Grant, S. B., Davis, K., Feldman, D. 2016; 50 (23): 12557-12566

    Abstract

    Cities in drought prone regions of the world such as South East Australia are faced with escalating water scarcity and security challenges. Here we use 72 years of urban water consumption data from Melbourne, Australia, a city that recently overcame a 12 year "Millennium Drought", to evaluate (1) the relative importance of climatic and anthropogenic drivers of urban water demand (using wavelet-based approaches) and (2) the relative contribution of various water saving strategies to demand reduction during the Millennium Drought. Our analysis points to conservation as a dominant driver of urban water savings (69%), followed by nonrevenue water reduction (e.g., reduced meter error and leaks in the potable distribution system; 29%), and potable substitution with alternative sources like rain or recycled water (3%). Per-capita consumption exhibited both climatic and anthropogenic signatures, with rainfall and temperature explaining approximately 55% of the variance. Anthropogenic controls were also strong (up to 45% variance explained). These controls were nonstationary and frequency-specific, with conservation measures like outdoor water restrictions impacting seasonal water use and technological innovation/changing social norms impacting lower frequency (baseline) use. The above-noted nonstationarity implies that wavelets, which do not assume stationarity, show promise for use in future predictive models of demand.

    View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.est.6b02938

    View details for Web of Science ID 000389557100005

    View details for PubMedID 27802028

  • The characteristics and dynamics of wave-driven flow across a platform coral reef in the Red Sea JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Lentz, S. J., Churchill, J. H., Davis, K. A., Farrar, J. T., Pineda, J., Starczak, V. 2016; 121 (2): 1360-1376
  • Surface gravity wave transformation across a platform coral reef in the Red Sea JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Lentz, S. J., Churchill, J. H., Davis, K. A., Farrar, J. T. 2016; 121 (1): 693-705
  • Climate modulates internal wave activity in the Northern South China Sea GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS DeCarlo, T. M., Karnauskas, K. B., Davis, K. A., Wong, G. F. 2015; 42 (3): 831-838
  • Seasonal and interannual oxygen variability on the Washington and Oregon continental shelves JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Siedlecki, S. A., Banas, N. S., Davis, K. A., Giddings, S., Hickey, B. M., MacCready, P., Connolly, T., Geier, S. 2015; 120 (2): 608-633
  • Small Drains, Big Problems: The Impact of Dry Weather Runoff on Shoreline Water Quality at Enclosed Beaches ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Rippy, M. A., Stein, R., Sanders, B. F., Davis, K., McLaughlin, K., Skinner, J. F., Kappeler, J., Grant, S. B. 2014; 48 (24): 14168-14177

    Abstract

    Enclosed beaches along urban coastlines are frequent hot spots of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) pollution. In this paper we present field measurements and modeling studies aimed at evaluating the impact of small storm drains on FIB pollution at enclosed beaches in Newport Bay, the second largest tidal embayment in Southern California. Our results suggest that small drains have a disproportionate impact on enclosed beach water quality for five reasons: (1) dry weather surface flows (primarily from overirrigation of lawns and ornamental plants) harbor FIB at concentrations exceeding recreational water quality criteria; (2) small drains can trap dry weather runoff during high tide, and then release it in a bolus during the falling tide when drainpipe outlets are exposed; (3) nearshore turbulence is low (turbulent diffusivities approximately 10(-3) m(2) s(-1)), limiting dilution of FIB and other runoff-associated pollutants once they enter the bay; (4) once in the bay, runoff can form buoyant plumes that further limit vertical mixing and dilution; and (5) local winds can force buoyant runoff plumes back against the shoreline, where water depth is minimal and human contact likely. Outdoor water conservation and urban retrofits that minimize the volume of dry and wet weather runoff entering the local storm drain system may be the best option for improving beach water quality in Newport Bay and other urban-impacted enclosed beaches.

    View details for DOI 10.1021/es503139h

    View details for Web of Science ID 000346686100015

    View details for PubMedID 25390647

  • Estuary-enhanced upwelling of marine nutrients fuels coastal productivity in the U.S. Pacific Northwest JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Davis, K. A., Banas, N. S., Giddings, S. N., Siedlecki, S. A., MacCready, P., Lessard, E. J., Kudela, R. M., Hickey, B. M. 2014; 119 (12): 8778-8799
  • Hindcasts of potential harmful algal bloom transport pathways on the Pacific Northwest coast JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Giddings, S. N., MacCready, P., Hickey, B. M., Banas, N. S., Davis, K. A., Siedlecki, S. A., Trainer, V. L., Kudela, R. M., Pelland, N. A., Connolly, T. P. 2014; 119 (4): 2439-2461
  • Two spatial scales in a bleaching event: Corals from the mildest and the most extreme thermal environments escape mortality LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Pineda, J., Starczak, V., Tarrant, A., Blythe, J., Davis, K., Farrar, T., Berumen, M., da Silva, J. B. 2013; 58 (5): 1531-1545
  • The Modification of Bottom Boundary Layer Turbulence and Mixing by Internal Waves Shoaling on a Barrier Reef JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Davis, K. A., Monismith, S. G. 2011; 41 (11): 2223-2241
  • Observations of the thermal environment on Red Sea platform reefs: a heat budget analysis CORAL REEFS Davis, K. A., Lentz, S. J., Pineda, J., Farrar, J. T., Starczak, V. R., Churchill, J. H. 2011; 30: 25-36
  • Atmospheric gravity waves in the Red Sea: a new hotspot NONLINEAR PROCESSES IN GEOPHYSICS Magalhaes, J. M., Araujo, I. B., da Silva, J. B., Grimshaw, R. J., Davis, K., Pineda, J. 2011; 18 (1): 71-79
  • Flow effects on benthic grazing on phytoplankton by a Caribbean reef LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Monismith, S. G., Davis, K. A., Shellenbarger, G. G., Hench, J. L., Nidzieko, N. J., Santoro, A. E., Reidenbach, M. A., Rosman, J. H., Holtzman, R., Martens, C. S., Lindquist, N. L., Southwell, M. W., Genin, A. 2010; 55 (5): 1881-1892
  • Effects of western boundary current dynamics on the internal wave field of the Southeast Florida shelf JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Davis, K. A., Leichter, J. J., Hench, J. L., Monismith, S. G. 2008; 113 (C9)
  • Composition and flux of groundwater from a California beach aquifer: Implications for nutrient supply to the surf zone CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH Boehm, A. B., Paytan, A., Shellenbarger, G. G., Davis, K. A. 2006; 26 (2): 269-282
  • Submarine groundwater discharge: An important source of new inorganic nitrogen to coral reef ecosystems LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Paytan, A., Shellenbarger, G. G., Street, J. H., Gonneea, M. E., Davis, K., Young, M. B., Moore, W. S. 2006; 51 (1): 343-348
  • Covariation of coastal water temperature and microbial pollution at interannual to tidal periods GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS Boehm, A. B., Lluch-Cota, D. B., Davis, K. A., Winant, C. D., Monismith, S. G. 2004; 31 (6)