Research Awards

WIND RESILIENCE IN COASTAL LOUISIANA: A SOCIAL EQUITY APPROACH TO ENHANCED BUILDING CODE PRACTICES

$349,995

PI: Ayat Al Assi, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Louisiana State University AgCenter

Co-Investigators: Rubayet Bin Mostafiz, Louisiana State University AgCenter; Carol Friedland, Louisiana State University AgCenter; Md Adilur Rahim, Louisiana State University AgCenter; Kevin Smiley, Louisiana State University

This project aims to incorporate wind risk assessment and risk reduction through enhanced code practices into the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. The project will examine how various social equity factors influence individuals' direct experience of economic impacts from wind events, while also evaluating the effectiveness of enhanced building code practices in reducing wind risk. In doing so, it will establish a comprehensive library for wind-risk metrics, both before and after fortifying resilience efforts in Coastal Louisiana.

AN AUTOMATED TOOL FOR WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN LOUISIANA’S WATERSHEDS AND BASINS

$341,597

PI: Corina Barbalata, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University

Co-Investigators: Dorin Boldor, Louisiana State University; Andrei Tarfulea, Louisiana State University; W. David Constant, Louisiana State University; Sibel Bargu Ates, Louisiana State University; Constant William David, Louisiana State University AgCenter

This project will develop autonomous water parameter data collection and analysis in watersheds and basins as new spillways and diversions are created. Using optical and environmental sensors integrated with an autonomous surface vehicle will allow the detection and tracking of Harmful Algal Blooms and will enable the design of predictive modelling techniques for water quality assessment. The goal is to create a set of affordable and accessible tools for large-scale water quality monitoring that can be widely used by project managers and the community to understand the impact of both natural and human factors on the environment.

RECONNAISSANCE GEOPHYSICAL AND GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS TO CHARACTERIZE SHIP SHOAL

$667,258

PI: Patrick Bradley, Geologist, Chenier Environmental Consulting, LLC

Co-Investigators: Aaron Bass, Chenier Environmental Consulting, LLC; Beth Forrest, APTIM; Patrick Bryce, APTIM; Beau Suthard, APTIM; Harry Roberts; Louisiana State University

To better understand Ship Shoal’s sediment characteristics, volume, and geomorphology, and address data gaps, this project will develop and conduct reconnaissance full-suite geophysical and geotechnical investigations across the entire shoal. Samples will be extracted from vibracores at irregular intervals to ground truth the subbottom data. The data will provide sediment characterization and an estimate of total available volume and accessible volume of restoration quality sediment. The data collected during the surveys will serve as baseline data for future shoal migration studies.

AN ANALYSIS OF VEGETATION ESTABLISHMENT AND ITS FEEDBACK WITH COASTAL INUNDATION VIA MODELING

$344,917

PI: Muriel Brückner, Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University

Co-Investigator: Paola Passalacqua, University of Texas at Austin

The goal of this project is to create an exploratory eco-hydrodynamic delta model to spatially refine hydrodynamics and vegetation establishment. The project will identify establishment criteria for wetland vegetation on newly developed deltaic land, including water levels, inundation frequency and period, and flow velocities. This will be achieved with a straightforward and easy to implement Python code and framework implementation that is flexible and can be incorporated in a variety of models. The results will also include recommendations on where and how the approach can be applied to improve the estimation of hydrodynamic and ecological properties in various numerical models and coastal areas.

DETERMINING VEGETATION ESTABLISHMENT THRESHOLDS WITH CUSTOM-BUILT SENSORS

$345,194

PI: Madeline Foster-Martinez, Assistant Professor, University of New Orleans

Co-Investigators: Abigail Eckland, University of Colorado Boulder; Jenneke Visser, University of Louisiana Lafayette; Vitalii Sheremet, Okeanolog

This project aims to deploy a network of custom-built water level loggers across two deltaic wetland environments and one marsh creation site, all with newly developed land, to directly measure the water level and enable an accurate calculation of inundation time. Studying land that originated in different manners allows researchers to assess a fuller range of establishment criteria relevant to the Louisiana coast. The project findings will be used to develop species-specific establishment thresholds based on inundation time, salinity, and any other factors determined from the analysis, that can be used as criteria for vegetation growth on newly developed land.

MEASUREMENT OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CARBON DYNAMICS ACROSS A HYDROLOGIC GRADIENT IN LOUISIANA COASTAL FRESHWATER FORESTED WETLANDS

$346,243

PI: Rachael Hunter, Wetland Scientist, Comite Resources

Co-Investigator: John Day, Comite Resources; Robert Lane, Comite Resources

This project utilizes the extensive Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) datasets and field measurements of carbon dynamics in coastal freshwater forested wetlands to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dynamics in wetlands converting to emergent marsh and open water. Carbon modelling will be carried out to quantify the potential carbon stock accruals and the resulting carbon sequestration and GHG emission rates. The sequestration rates can be applied to specific habitat types and/or restoration footprints to determine baseline and project carbon stock accrual rates for various Coastal Master Plan restoration scenarios.

INSTRUMENTED SETTLEMENT PLATES ENHANCEMENT FOR MARSH CREATION MONITORING

$348,810

PI: Navid Jafari, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University

Co-Investigator: Celalettin Ozdemir, Louisiana State University

This project aims to develop sensor technology to track the mudline at Instrumented Settlement Plates (ISPs) and facilitate in-situ effective stress estimates, which are crucial for construction monitoring. Research tasks will involve synergistic lab experiments, field demonstrations, and computational validations. The focus will be on compiling and evaluating post-construction ISP data from marsh creation projects to develop best-available science guidance and protocols for ISPs in tracking long-term marsh slurry geotechnical properties and improving marsh fill consolidation estimates for future projects.

DEVELOPING METHODS TO MEASURE FLOTANT MARSH EXTENT AND STABILITY IN THE BARATARIA-TERREBONNE ESTUARY SYSTEM

$521,837

PI: Gary LaFleur, Professor, Biology, Nicholls State University

Co-Investigators: Balaji Ramachandran, Nicholls State University; Jonathan Willis, Nicholls State University; Chris Bonvillain, Nicholls State University; Justine Whitaker, Nicholls State University

The project will develop remote sensing-based, non-invasive methods for assessing mat cohesiveness in a range of flotant sites. Geospatial analysis and vegetative assessment from aerial imagery, conventional vegetative sampling, and eDNA analysis will be used to determine plant identification and composition within flotant mats. Researchers will score marshes on whether the flotant mat is stable, threatened, or unstable, allowing better predictions on whether sites are in danger of mat separation.

DOES PROPAGATION OF ROSEAU CAN ALTER THE EFFICACY OF RESTORATION TO ENHANCE SALTMARSH FISHERIES PRODUCTION?

$345,011

PI: Jeffrey Plumlee, Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University AgCenter

Co-Investigators: Garrett Hopper, Louisiana State University AgCenter; Theresa Davenport, Louisiana State University AgCenter; J. Andrew Nyman, Louisiana State University AgCenter; Megan La Peyre, United States Geologic Survey

The research team will use a hypothesis-driven approach to: 1) investigate long-term changes in the distribution of Phragmites across the southwestern Terrebonne Basin; 2) compare long-term fish production in the southwest Terrebonne Basin in restored areas vs. non-restored areas; and 3) sample fish communities adjacent to marsh-edge across. The goal of this project is to identify Phragmites propagation and enable prediction for future Phragmites expansion or loss in southwest Terrebonne Basin. This will enable large-scale and fine-scale prediction of changes to estuarine secondary production of ecologically and economically important fishes and invertebrates.

Graduate Assistantships

SALINITY DYNAMICS BETWEEN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ADJACENT ESTUARIES

$131,588

PI: Matthew Hiatt, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University

Co-Investigator: John White, Louisiana State University

The project aims to address river-estuarine hydrological connectivity from the Mississippi River, across coastal wetlands, to open water estuarine systems impacting porewater salinity dynamics in marshes. The work is intended to lay a foundation for understanding the extent of river-estuarine connectivity through multiple pathways, including surface-groundwater exchange, and the salinity dynamics of marsh porewater subject to hydrological perturbation.

PROJECTING FUTURE ESTUARINE HYPOXIA AND HABITAT IN LOUISIANA

$135,684

PI: Junhong Liang, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University

This project will generate high-resolution hindcast and projection simulations of physical and oxygen conditions in Barataria Bay for the 21^st century (2001 to 2100) using a coupled-hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model (coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model). It will explore the use of an eco-physiological framework to map temperature-dependent hypoxic zones for selected species in Barataria Bay. The goal is to systematically characterize and map temperature-dependent hypoxic conditions over Barataria Bay for each decade under the context of climate warming.

QUANTIFYING SMALL-SCALE GENETIC VARIATION IN SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA

$100,260

PI: Robyn Zerebecki, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Louisiana Lafayette

This project will conduct field surveys across the Louisiana coastline to assess Spartina genetic diversity, plant production, sediment properties, and the associated plant and invertebrate community between restored and natural salt marshes. The project will also investigate how different restoration techniques influence diversity and ecosystem function. Spartina genetic diversity will be assessed using microsatellite markers that allow for the identification of individual genotypes, and statistical comparisons will include population and community response variables between restored and natural marshes.