Research Interests
We are broadly interested in research that address historical and present-day changes to the coastal land margin and the environmental context in which they are situated.
Current Research
Co-locating Areas of Increased Coastal Hazards and Critical Water Infrastructure
Access to affordable, clean, water is considered one of the global challenges of the 21st century, and issues tied to water shortage, contamination, and costs are compounded by the threat of climate induced hazards. Critically, there are no existing maps which co-locate water infrastructure with their potential exposure to coastal hazards, which may affect disadvantaged communities more than neighboring communities that are well-resourced. Here we propose to generate a first of its kind spatial relationship between coastal hazards, water infrastructure, and disadvantaged communities.
High Spatial Resolution Mapping of Coastal Forested Wetlands at the Global Scale
Coastal forested wetlands (CFWs) are a critical component of the coastal wetland mosaic and offer numerous ecosystem services (i.e. carbon sequestration, storm surge attenuation, groundwater recharge). However, there is a critical information gap in that there are no global datasets on the presence or condition of coastal forested wetlands. High spatial resolution satellite imagery can be leveraged to produce a global map of CFW coverage. These data can be leveraged to proactively aid climate change mitigation and restoration efforts. The research will produce a new, unique dataset whose products will lead to real-world benefits beyond their ability to advance our scientific understanding of the world.
Quantifying Global Changes in Ramsar Coastal Forested Wetlands
Coastal forested wetlands provide numerous free, beneficial services to humans at no cost. A major one is carbon sequestration, which is the process by which an ecosystem takes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it long-term in its tissue. This helps to offset excess atmospheric carbon dioxide build up. However, coastal forested wetlands are threatened by climate change, but we lack information to accurately assess their vulnerability. We used satellite-based data to understand changes to Coastal Forested Wetland woody vegetation cover between 2001 – 2020 in Ramsar designiated wetlands.
Resilience to coastal hazards
Coastal hazards, such as hurricanes, flooding, and sea level rise, will get worse over time due to climate change. Already underserved communities are particularly vulnerable to these hazards and face greater barriers accessing disaster recovery funding. The goal of my project is to help underserved communities understand and prepare for coastal related climate change hazards. We will work with community partner, Emergency Legal Responders, to build a web-based platform that help community members understand their individual risk to a hazard and navigate resources that are available for preparation, adaptation, and recovery.