The Coastal Disturbance Ecology Lab researches how human alterations affect an ecosystem’s response to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. By using a combination of historical data and fieldwork, we seek to discover resiliency shifts in coastal environments. Knowing when and why resiliency may have shifted can lead to a better understanding of how to restore resiliency of degraded systems, potentially allowing the system to repair itself. We research this on multiple spatial and temporal scales, using historical maps and aerial imagery in GIS to track landscape changes over time. We also conduct field experiments and surveys to measure community-level responses.
We aim to broaden the knowledge of how multiple stressors, including landscape modifications, nutrient inputs, and climate change, interact with both natural and anthropogenic disturbances to affect ecosystem structure, function, and stability. Most recently, our work has involved using GIS to map historical ecosystem shifts from 1875 to present in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida and how disturbances such as hurricanes can have vastly different effects as human impact increases.
We aim to broaden the knowledge of how multiple stressors, including landscape modifications, nutrient inputs, and climate change, interact with both natural and anthropogenic disturbances to affect ecosystem structure, function, and stability. Most recently, our work has involved using GIS to map historical ecosystem shifts from 1875 to present in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida and how disturbances such as hurricanes can have vastly different effects as human impact increases.
Projects
large-scale disturbancesAssessing the effects of the DWH oil spill and hurricanes on coastal marsh erosion rates.
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Land loss legacyUsing time-lapse photography to document coastal land loss and disturbance effects in real time.
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Ecosystem shiftsLandscape scale research on historical changes within the Indian River Lagoon (FL) system
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Historical changes
I am currently using GIS to research two questions on historical changes in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL):
There has been little research on the colonization of oyster reefs by mangroves in any system. From historical aerial imagery, I am tracking the prevalence of the shift, when it may have occurred, and the driving factors behind it. Preliminary results suggest there are some oyster reefs that have shifted over 70 years, driven potentially by local hydrologic factors.
Below is an example of the shift from oyster reefs in 1943 to mangrove islands in 2017. The white in the 1943 is oyster reef.
- How has coastal resiliency shifted from 1875 to 2017 shifted as anthropogenic impacts increased?
- Is there an ecosystem shift occurring as mangroves colonize oyster reefs? If so, what are the driving factors?
There has been little research on the colonization of oyster reefs by mangroves in any system. From historical aerial imagery, I am tracking the prevalence of the shift, when it may have occurred, and the driving factors behind it. Preliminary results suggest there are some oyster reefs that have shifted over 70 years, driven potentially by local hydrologic factors.
Below is an example of the shift from oyster reefs in 1943 to mangrove islands in 2017. The white in the 1943 is oyster reef.
