Water Quality

Nutrient Loading and Coastal Resiliency: Large-Scale and Long-Term Responses of Downstream Salt Marsh Ecosystems

Prolonged nutrient enrichment can lead to creek collapse in salt marsh ecosystems, and I am interested in exploring whether this relationship can be detected at large scales. I study how flooding, productivity, and erosion are affected by nutrient enrichment in salt marsh estuaries using remote sensing imagery.

In Georgia, numerous programs encourage agricultural stakeholders to adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) designed to reduce nutrient runoff, offered by federal, state, and local institutions. However, incentivizing farmers to voluntarily adopt these programs can be challenging due to the financial burden. My research focuses on spatial patterns in farmer adoption of BMPs and access to the materials and programs needed to enact these techniques. My research is based in the Altamaha River watershed, a major river system in the southeastern US.

As an Integrative Conservation (ICON) PhD student, my research seeks to combine both the natural and social sciences to study coastal resiliency, specifically focusing on agricultural nutrient enrichment and salt marsh ecosystems. My general interests include spatial relationships among agricultural stakeholders, directional pollution, and the effects of nutrient loading on salt marsh ecosystems.

Publications:

1. Julien, A.R., C.R. Narron, and D.R. Mishra. 2024. Expanding the Flooding in Landsat Across Tidal Systems Model to Landsat 5-9 imagery for long-term marsh inundation analysis. (PENDING ACCEPTANCE)

Funding and Collaborators:

• University of Georgia Integrative Conservation (ICON) program

• UGA Marine Institute