Current Research
Coastal Management, Resilience, and Adaptation
Coastal areas are home to a significant portion of the world’s human population. Addressing climate change effects, such as sea level rise and increased storm intensity, in coastal urban centers will require innovative and strategic solutions. Moreover, other coastal locations that harbor diverse natural and cultural resources, such as national parks and historic landmarks, will also grapple with questions of resilience and adaptation to climate change.
Nature-based solutions provide potential protective and economic opportunities in adapting to coastal change. However, the performance and functioning of nature-based solutions in mitigating issues such as flooding and storm surge requires further exploration. The role of nature-based solutions in coastal retreat, preserving place identity, and connecting research with practice may also generate fresh ideas for coastal management, resilience, and adaptation.
Related Project: Design for Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge in National Parks – An Example Near the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC
Coastal Management, Resilience, and Adaptation
Coastal areas are home to a significant portion of the world’s human population. Addressing climate change effects, such as sea level rise and increased storm intensity, in coastal urban centers will require innovative and strategic solutions. Moreover, other coastal locations that harbor diverse natural and cultural resources, such as national parks and historic landmarks, will also grapple with questions of resilience and adaptation to climate change.
Nature-based solutions provide potential protective and economic opportunities in adapting to coastal change. However, the performance and functioning of nature-based solutions in mitigating issues such as flooding and storm surge requires further exploration. The role of nature-based solutions in coastal retreat, preserving place identity, and connecting research with practice may also generate fresh ideas for coastal management, resilience, and adaptation.
Related Project: Design for Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge in National Parks – An Example Near the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC
Previous Research
Fish behavior and monitoring
Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, is a popular recreational game fish living throughout the Caribbean Sea, parts of the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Florida coast. Tag and recapture methods were used to study behavior and breeding habits of common snook on barrier islands in Charlotte Harbor, Fla.
The study supported previous research that common snook return to the same island to spawn, and indicated that common snook return to specific portions of the barrier islands. The behavior makes common snook especially vulnerable to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Understanding the movement and spatial patterns of common snook is critical for stock enhancement and management strategies.
This work was completed as a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellow.
Publication: Adams, A.J., Hill, J.E., & Samoray, C. (2011). Characteristics of spawning ground fidelity by a diadromous fish: a multi-year perspective. Environ Biol Fish 92, 403–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9851-x
Fish behavior and monitoring
Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, is a popular recreational game fish living throughout the Caribbean Sea, parts of the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Florida coast. Tag and recapture methods were used to study behavior and breeding habits of common snook on barrier islands in Charlotte Harbor, Fla.
The study supported previous research that common snook return to the same island to spawn, and indicated that common snook return to specific portions of the barrier islands. The behavior makes common snook especially vulnerable to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Understanding the movement and spatial patterns of common snook is critical for stock enhancement and management strategies.
This work was completed as a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellow.
Publication: Adams, A.J., Hill, J.E., & Samoray, C. (2011). Characteristics of spawning ground fidelity by a diadromous fish: a multi-year perspective. Environ Biol Fish 92, 403–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9851-x
Threatened Species
The desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, is a threatened species native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Radio telemetry techniques were used to locate desert tortoises in remote parts of the Mojave Desert. Behavior and movement patterns were assessed to guide the translocation of the tortoises from a military training area to other locations in the Mojave. The study also tested for the presence of a contagious upper respiratory infection.
The research is important in informing management actions related to the conservation of threatened species. Studying baseline health and behavior characteristics is critical to protecting threatened species.
This work was completed as a field biologist intern with the United States Geological Survey.
Threatened Species
The desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, is a threatened species native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Radio telemetry techniques were used to locate desert tortoises in remote parts of the Mojave Desert. Behavior and movement patterns were assessed to guide the translocation of the tortoises from a military training area to other locations in the Mojave. The study also tested for the presence of a contagious upper respiratory infection that spreads.
The research is important in informing management actions related to the conservation of threatened species. Studying baseline health and behavior characteristics is critical to protecting threatened species.
This work was completed as a field biologist intern with the United States Geological Survey.