USGS-FAU Collaborative Research Meet & Greet

FACILITATORS

Colin Polsky, Director, Florida Center for Environmental Studies; Professor, Geosciences, FAU,  cpolsky@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Human dimensions of global environmental change; presentation

Nick Aumen, Regional Science Advisor, SE Region, USGS, naumen@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Nutrient biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, wetland restoration, linking sciences and policy;  presentation

John "Jay" Baldwin, Professor, Biological Sciences; Assoc. Director, Florida Center for Environmental Studies, FAU, jbaldwin@fau.edu, website

Research Interests:  Population and conservation genetics; Marine biology, ichthyology and fisheries; Wildlife avian ecology; Everglades restoration; presentation

Dale Gawlik, Director, Environmental Science Program; Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU, dgawlik@fau.edu, website

USGS SCIENTISTS

James Beerens, Ecologist, USGS, jbeerens@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Defining wildlife habitat – modeling habitat selection, occurrence, reproduction; Evaluating and assessing Everglades restoration; Developing conservation strategies for species sensitive to anthropogenically disturbed landscapes; presentation

Mike Cherkiss, Wildlife Biologist, USGS, mcherkiss@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Population ecology and biology of endangered and invasive reptile species (American crocodile, alligator, pythons, tegus, etc); Everglades restoration;  presentation

André Daniels , Fishery Biologist, USGS, Dive Safety Coordinator/South Florida Safety Officer; Motorboat Operator Certification Course Instructor (MOCC), andre_daniels@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Estuary and marine environments, seagrass communities and coral reef communities; presentation

Don DeAngelis, Senior Scientist, USGS; Adjunct Professor, University of Miami, don_deangelis@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Development of individual-based population models; Theoretical and computational ecology; Ecosystem ecology; presentation

Mark Dickman, Hydrologic Data Section Chief, USGS, mdickman@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests:  Hydrologic monitoring and monitoring projects;  presentation

Kristen Hart, Research Ecologist, USGS,  kristen_hart@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests:   Large reptile research and ecosystem restoration (sea turtles, diamondback terrapins, American crocodile, American alligator, Burmese pythons); presentation

Ken Krauss, Research Ecologist, National Wetlands Research Center, USGS; Adjunct Professor, LSU, UL-Lafayette, Clemson University,  kraussk@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests:Impacts of climate and land use change on coastal wetlands, ecology of tidal freshwater forested wetlands, and scaling ecophysiological processes associated with water use in wetlands; presentation

Ed Patino, Hydrologist, USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center, epatino@usgs.gov,  website

Research Interests:  Wetland and coastal ecosystems monitoring – flow and water quality; Use of sensor data as proxies for continuous monitoring of selected water quality parameters (i.e. carbon, mercury, suspended sediment – concentration & load) ; presentation

Stephanie Romañach, Research Ecologist, USGS, sromanach@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests:  Large-scale issues in conservation; Ecosystem restoration and climate change ; presentation

Dorothy Sifuentes, Supervisor Hydrologist, USGS, dsifuentes@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Groundwater flow and solute transport and coastal aquifers and saltwater intrusion; presentation

David Sumner, Associate Director for Studies, USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center,  dmsumner@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Water and carbon cycling; presentation

Research Interests: Effects of sea-level rise on coastal hydrology and ecology; Modeling surface-water/groundwater interactions; Statistical analysis of hydrologic parameters and methodology for determining field parameters; presentation

Mark Zucker, Supervisory Physical Scientist, USGS, mzucker@usgs.gov, website

Research Interests: Coastal monitoring networks; Continuous water quality monitoring; Everglades restoration (Florida Bay); presentation

FAU SCIENTISTS

Rindy Anderson, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU, andersonr@fau.edu, website

Research Interests:  Behavioral ecology, cognition, avian biology, bioacoustics;  presentation

Brian Benscoter, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU; Chair, Society of Wetland Scientists Peatland & Biogeochemistry Sections; Chair, Ecological Society of America 2016 Conference Local Host Committee, bbenscot@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Peatland (wetland) ecology, fire ecology, community and ecosystem ecology; presentation

Frederick Bloetscher, Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, FAU, h2o_man@bellsouth.net,  website

Research Interests:  Water resources, infrastructure vulnerability and management; presentation

Xavier Comas, Associate Professor, Geosciences, FAU; Research affiliate, Carbonate Aquifer Charachterization Laboratory (CACL), USGS,  xcomas@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Application of near-surface geophysical methods to: 1) peat soils, 2) karst environments, 3) critical zone studies, 4) other (archeological applications and biological studies); presentation

Donna Devlin, Assistant Research Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU; Affiliate Professor, St Thomas University,  ddevlin@fau.edu,  website

Research Interests: Mangrove and associated species population genetics; Climate change/ mangrove-marsh ecology and genetics; Community Genetics; Marine Ecology, Plant-animal and plant-plant interactions: predation/ competition/facilitation; Mangrove community  restoration; Invasive species ecology and genetics; Chinese mangrove ecology/ invasive species and genetics-Student Exchange Program; presentation

Nathan Dorn, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU, ndorn1@fau.edu , website

Research Interests: Freshwater ecology, Community ecology, Animal population limitation; Trophic Interactions; Determinants of community structure presentation

Nwadiuto Esiobu, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU,  nesiobu@fau.edu, website

Research Interests:  Applied and environmental microbiology; Plant-Microbe interactions; Ecology of pathogens and climate change; Beach quality; Sustainable development; presentation

Colin Hughes, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU, chughe@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Evolutionary Genetics and its relationship to conservation,Role of disease in wild population demography; Origin and impact of invasive species; presentation

Bill Louda, Research Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, FAU,  louda@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Environmental biogeochemistry, water quality, global climate change, environmental restoration, and organic geochemistry (petroleum, coal);  presentation

Scott Markwith, Associate Professor and Assistan Chair, Director, Doctoral Program, Geosciences, FAU, smarkwit@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Ecological biogeography; Environmental restoration; Dispersal/migration processes; Exotic species invasion and mitigation, Biogeography, environmental restoration; presentation

Daniel Meeroff, Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental & Geomatics Engineering, FAU, Director, Laboratories for Engineered Environmental Solutions (Lab.EES),  dmeeroff@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Environmental engineering; Development of innovative treatment technologies that mimic natural systems; Aquatic water quality; Water use efficiency and pollution prevention strategies; Water/wastewater treatment process; Solid/Hazardous waste management; presentation

Diana Mitsova, Associate Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning, FAU, Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Shoreline Resilience Working Group, dmitsova@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Sea-level rise, planning approaches to shoreline stabilization and coastal resilience; presentation

Erik Noonburg, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU,  enoonbur@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Ecological modeling; Population dynamics; Foraging behavior; presentation

Tiffany Roberts Briggs,  Assistant Professor, Geosciences, FAU, briggst@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Coastal morphology, geology, and sedimentology;  presentation

Tara Root, Associate Professor, Geosciences, FAU, troot@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Groundwater chemistry: water chemistry as a tracer of the movement of water through the hydrologic cycle; Water  resources sustainability: water use in science; presentation

Xing-Hai Zhang, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, FAU, xhzhang@fau.edu, website

Research Interests: Plant physiology  and biochemistry; Molecular biology and biotechnology; Molecular ecology for Everglades; Genetics of invasive plants;  presentation