Kerstin Bergentz

curriculum vitae – kerstin bergentz

Contact: kbergent@ucsd.edu

Education

PhD in Physical Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2020-present)
Thesis title: Multiscale Dynamics of Wind-Driven Motions in the Ocean: From Near-Inertial Oscillations to Turbulence
Advisors: Prof. Jen MacKinnon and Dr. Luca Centurioni

M.Sc by coursework in Physical Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2021)
Coursework: GFD, Waves, Digital Signal Processing, Data Analysis

B.Sc in Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sweden (2020)
Thesis title: Submesoscale variations in sea surface temperature and salinity – a comparison between satellite data and in situ measurements from a mobile platform
Coursework: Remote Sensing, Ecosystem Analysis, Hydrology, Physics of the Earth System, Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

B.Sc in Industrial Design Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology (2017)
Thesis title: Ett verktyg för effektivisering i sjukvården
Coursework: UX/UI, Sustainability, Mechatronics, Material Science, Mechanics, User Needs, Project Management

Academic interests

  • Ocean-atmosphere interactions, winds, waves, currents
  • Instabilities and turbulence
  • Sensor development
  • Remote sensing of the ocean

Publications

Bergentz, K. A., Centurioni, L. R, MacKinnon, J. A. Fast Times at Lofoten High – Interactions Between Near-Inertial Oscillations and a Strong Mesoscale Eddy. Journal of Physical Oceanography (in review)

Hilditch J., Bergentz K., Northcott D., Dias Luko C., Cohanim K., Schlichting D., Sanchez-Rios A., Weiss K., Hetland R., MacKinnon J., Nash J., Shearman R.K, Thomas L. (2025) Observations of subduction, downward heat flux and dense filament collapse in the northern Gulf of Mexico. JGR Oceans. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JC022570

Selected presentations & conferences

Ocean Sciences Meeting, Glasgow, 2026 – Linking Surface Forcing to Interior Mixing in the Bay of Bengal (talk)

COP30, Belem, Brazil, 2025 – Top five ocean issues (panel discussion)

Warnemunde Turbulence Days, Germany, 2025 – Waves and stratified turbulence in the Bay of Bengal (poster)

COP29, Baku, Azerbaijan, 2024 – Hot H2O – global ocean warming and its consequences (panel discussion)

Ocean Sciences Meeting, New Orleans, 2024 – Fast Times at Lofoten High: Complex Interactions Between Near-Inertial Motions and a Submesoscale Eddy (talk)

Gordon Research Conference on Ocean Mixing, 2023 – Observations of inertial oscillations interacting with surface vorticity (poster)

Scripps Student Symposium, 2023 – The Lofoten Basin Eddy – a snapshot (voted best student talk)

Relevant work and field experience

  • Co-chief scientist and technical lead on COMCEPTS 2025, a student led summer school on ocean turbulence and mixing, September 2025
  • Co-chief scientist on EAT-SLE February 2025, a student-led field campaign investigating biodiversity and bottom-up processes near the Santa Lucia Escarpment, technical lead for back deck ops, CTD and LADCP
  • Chief scientist on day cruise aboard R/V Sproul with MPL summer interns, June 2025
  • Drifter lead on EKAMSAT/ASTraL (Arabian Sea Transition Layer) May/June 2024 field campaign in the Bay of Bengal aboard R/V Thomas G. Thompson, data collection with various profilers.
  • Drifter lead for the NORSE (Northern Ocean Rapid Surface Evolution) field campaigns in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the North Atlantic. A total of 12 weeks at sea collecting oceanographic data with surface drifters, underway CTD/turbulence instruments, bow-chains, deep CTD casts, and various acoustic sensors.
  • SUNRISE (Submesoscales Under Near-Resonant Inertial Shear Experiment) June/July 2022 campaign aboard R/V Pt Sur in the Gulf of Mexico. Underway VMP, CTD, and drifters.
  • Certified small boat operator with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, since 2023.
  • Intern in the Multiscale Ocean Dynamics lab (2018/2019), assisted in the development and production of oceanographic sensors, in particular for microstructure measurements (Epsilometer), and profiling platforms (The Wirewalker).
  • One week aboard the R/V Sikuliaq for a CCE cruise assisting with recovery and deployment of moorings, CTD casts and instrument maintenance (2019).
  • Three months of volunteer work as a marine research diver with Global Vision International in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji (2012).

Outreach

  • Lead organizer of the Scripps Student Symposium 2021-2025
  • Delegate at COP 29-30 in Baku, Azerbaijan, 2024, and Belem, Brazil 2025. Panelist in several panels discussing the ocean’s role in climate change
  • Regular contributor to Scripp’s magazine Explorations Now (https://tinyurl.com/4rpj65f5)
  • Volunteer with Scope (Scripps Community Outreach for Public Education) regularly engaging with K-12 students talking about Scripps and career options in marine science

Selected awards and honors

  • UC Ship Funds (2025) – COMCEPTS: Combined Ocean Mixing Course Experiments and Practices for Turbulence Sampling with shiptime aboard the R/V Sproul
  • UC Ship Funds (2022/2024) – Ecological Assessment of the Santa Lucia Escarpment, two field campaigns aboard R/V Sproul and R/V Sally Ride to investigate the ecosystem in a newly established marine sanctuary
  • Crafoord Foundation Travel Grant recipient (2019)
  • Adlerbertska Stiftelsen award for excellent students at Chalmers University of Technology (2016)