About me

Hello! I am a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University with Dr. Kevin Arrigo. My research focuses on primary producers in the polar oceans. I like to say that I study “where, when, why, and how algae bloom” using a combination of satellite remote sensing, models, and field observations. Some specific areas of interest include sea ice biogeochemistry, algal sinking speeds and carbon export, and the appearance of harmful algal blooms in the Arctic Ocean.

The polar oceans help balance the entire Earth system and directly support human activites such as food production and transportation through shipping routes. They also are experiencing some of the fastest and most severe effects of climate change. My work seeks in part to observe, quantify, and predict these changes, with implications for the carbon cycle and ecosystem balance.

I am also passionate about increasing access to STEM and higher education through long-range mentorship. Head to the Outreach & Mentoring page to learn more!

I recently gave a talk for the International Glaciological Society’s Global Seminar Series on some of my recent work creating 15+ year time series of ice algal habitat in both poles. You can watch the video here.

^{At Brown Bluff, Antarctica}

Media features

• Stephanie Lim ’18 Studies Climate Change in the Alaskan Arctic by Scripps College (2023)
• I’m Stephanie Lim! by Polar Impact (2021)

^{Headshot photo in sidebar: © David Kwan, 2024.}