Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Directory

Administration   |   Faculty   |   Emeriti   |   Adjuncts   |   Post-docs and Researchers

Department Chair

Dr. Kanchan MaitiKanchan Maiti
Chair and Shell Professor of Oceanography
225-578-4531
kmaiti@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Research conducted at the Marine Geochemistry Laboratory led by Dr. Maiti explores interlinked topics related to transport and transformation of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in coastal and deep ocean systems utilizing geochemical tracers and autonomous observation platforms. The availability of organic and inorganic carbon species can directly and indirectly impact various biogeochemical processes across the land-estuary-ocean aquatic continuum like formation of hypoxia, increase in ocean acidification, benthic elemental fluxes, biological carbon pump and air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases, which has implications for carbon budget at both local and global scales. Dr. Maiti’s research group seeks to provide answers to some of the fundamental questions related to ocean carbon biogeochemistry and environmental quality through field-based observations, natural isotope tracers and laboratory microcosm experiments. Current projects investigate the impacts of hurricanes on carbon budget in coastal Louisiana/Texas, carbon remineralization pathways and methane fluxes in GOM sediments, sediment driven ocean acidification in Louisiana shelf, submarine groundwater discharge in coastal Turkey, biological carbon fluxes and sediment carbon accumulation in Ross Sea, Antarctica and methane emission from orphan wells in Louisiana.

Dana Sanders
Assistant to the Chair
225-578-6308
danasanders@lsu.edu 

Sharon Butler
Coordinator
225-578-6455
sbutler@lsu.edu



Faculty (A-Z)

Sibel BarguSibel Bargu Ates
Associate Dean of Academics, CC&E and Shell Professor in Oceanography/Wetland Studies
225-578-3334
sbargu@lsu.edu 
Research Interests: 
Freshwater, Estuarine and Marine Phytoplankton Ecology, Harmful Algal Blooms and Food Web Contamination, Phytoplankton-Zooplankton Interactions, Global Climate Change

Mark BenfieldMark C. Benfield
Professor
225-578-6372
mbenfie@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Zooplankton ecology, optical and acoustic sensing of zooplankton, computer-based classification of zooplankton, acoustical telemetry studies of fish and invertebrates, application of industrial remotely operated vehicles (ROV) in biological observatories.

Jenn BrumJennifer R. Brum
Assistant Professor
225-578-6364
jbrum1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Ecology and biogeochemical impacts of aquatic viruses

Michael DanceMichael Dance
Assistant Professor
225-578-1243
mdance1@lsu.edu  
Research Interests:
Movement ecology, fisheries science, population connectivity, stock assessment, seascape ecology, habitat use, early life history of marine fishes

Chris D'EliaChristopher D'Elia
Professor
225-578-7188
cdelia@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Nutrient dynamics in aquatic systems; estuarine ecology; coral reef ecology; algal/invertebrate symbiosis; science history and policy; math and science education; marine pollution; global climate change; analytical chemistry

Eurico D'SaEurico J. D'Sa
Professor
225-578-0212
ejdsa@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Ocean color remote sensing, bio-optical properties of coastal and ocean waters, physical-biogeochemical interactions; coastal biogeochemical processes

Cassie GlaspieCassandra Glaspie
Assistant Professor
cglaspie1@lsu.edu 
225-578-0379
Research Interests:
My research integrates laboratory, field, and modeling approaches to address the question: how does environmental change alter interactions between members of an ecological community, and what are the implications for humanity? My lab focuses on coastal and estuarine benthic (bottom-dwelling) organisms.    

Cheryl HarrisonCheryl Harrison
Assistant Professor
cherylharrison@lsu.edu 
225-578-6425
Research Interests:
Physical, biogeochemical and ocean ecosystem modeling, applied mathematics, marine ecology, fisheries, climate impacts on marine ecosystems and fisheries, physical and biological transport, ecological dispersal, mesoscale biophysical interactions, and geoengineering. 

Matt HiattMatthew Hiatt
Associate Professor
225-578-6092
mhiatt1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Coastal hydrology, environmental fluid dynamics, harmful algal blooms, water transport timescales in deltas and wetlands, hydrological connectivity in coastal environments, network analysis, nearshore waves

Dan HolsteinDan Holstein
Assistant Professor
225-578-6371
dholstein1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
My lab studies various aspects of seascape ecology, including invertebrate reproduction, larval dispersal, metapopulation modeling, and the spatial ecology of environmental change. We focus on tropical coral reefs, with a special interest in refuge environments - like deeper mesophotic reefs - and how these environments interact with others in the seascape.

Haosheng HuangHaosheng Huang
Associate Professor
225-578-5117
hhuang7@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Physical oceanography, circulation in regional seas and continental shelves, coastal and estuarine circulation dynamics, unstructured grid numerical modeling and data assimilation, tide and storm surge simulation, bio-physical interaction and ecosystem modeling

Dubravko JusticDubravko Justic
Texaco Distinguished Professor
225-578-6394
djusti1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Ecosystem modeling, biological oceanography, coastal eutrophication, hypoxia, impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems

Chunyan LiChunyan Li
Professor and Mobil Distinguished Professor of Marine Geology
225-578-3619
cli@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Physical oceanography, transport, coastal and estuarine circulations, innovative observations, modeling, extreme weather (such as hurricanes), induced water level changes including storm surges

Jun-Hong LiangJun-Hong Liang
Associate Professor, Center for Computation and Technology
225-578-7031
jliang@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Physical Oceanography; Ocean Biogeochemical Dynamis; Ocean modeling

 

Dr. Kam-biu LiuKam-biu Liu
George W. Barineau III Professor
225-578-8203
kliu1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Thematic: paleotempestology, coastal paleoecology, global environmental change, palynology and lake-sediments; Regional: U.S. Gulf coast and Atlantic coast, Caribbean region and Central America, South America (Andes and Amazon Basin), Tibetan Plateau, China

Kanchan MaitiKanchan Maiti
Department Chair and Shell Professor in Oceanography/Wetland Studies
225-578-4531
kmaiti@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Research conducted at the Marine Geochemistry Laboratory led by Dr. Maiti explores interlinked topics related to transport and transformation of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in coastal and deep ocean systems utilizing geochemical tracers and autonomous observation platforms. The availability of organic and inorganic carbon species can directly and indirectly impact various biogeochemical processes across the land-estuary-ocean aquatic continuum like formation of hypoxia, increase in ocean acidification, benthic elemental fluxes, biological carbon pump and air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases, which has implications for carbon budget at both local and global scales. Dr. Maiti’s research group seeks to provide answers to some of the fundamental questions related to ocean carbon biogeochemistry and environmental quality through field-based observations, natural isotope tracers and laboratory microcosm experiments. Current projects investigate the impacts of hurricanes on carbon budget in coastal Louisiana/Texas, lateral carbon flux from coastal wetlands, carbon remineralization pathways and methane fluxes in GOM sediments, sediment driven ocean acidification in Louisiana shelf, submarine groundwater discharge in coastal Turkey, biological carbon fluxes and sediment carbon accumulation in Ross Sea, Antarctica and methane emission from orphan wells in Louisiana.

Giulio MariottiGiulio Mariotti
Associate Professor
gmariotti@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
My research focuses on the processes that shape coastal environments. I am interested in coupling physical and biochemical aspects, e.g. ecogeomorphology and biogeology. I carry forward my research using mathematical models, laboratory experiments and field work. My current agenda encompasses three main topics: 1) Wetland response to sea level rise, sediment supply and storminess. 2) Coupled dynamics of sediment & biofilms / microbial-mats. 3) Carbonate platform sedimentary processes.

Steve MidwayStephen Midway
Associate Professor
225-578-6458
smidway@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
I study a variety of aspects of fisheries ecology, often with applications to improving the management of commercial and recreational coastal fish species. My work includes basic biology and life history, species–environment interactions, and the use of hierarchical Bayesian models, among other tools.

Paul MillerPaul Miller
Assistant Professor
225-578-2734
pmiller1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Coastal meteorology; Hydroclimatology; Mesoscale climate science; Weakly forced thunderstorms; Land-atmosphere interactions; Hazardous weather impacts

Victor RiveraVictor H. Rivera-Monroy
Associate Professor
225-578-2745
vhrivera@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Estuarine and coastal ecosystems; biogeochemistry of wetlands; landscape modeling/ecosystem models; coastal management/aquaculture; mangrove forest rehabilitation/restoration; nutrient cycling inwetlands (nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon)

Mike PolitoMichael Polito
Associate Professor
225-578-9403
mpolito@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Stable isotope ecology, food web dynamics and anthropogenic contaminants, ecology of marine birds and mammals, marsh ecology

Tracy QuirkTracy Quirk
Associate Professor
225-578-6426
tquirk@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Wetland ecology and restoration including plant and microbial processes, nutrient and carbon cycling and accretion dynamics, human impact on wetland ecosystems, and organic matter and nutrient linkages between coastal wetlands and rivers, estuaries, and submerged aquatic ecosystems.

Nancy RabalaisNancy Rabalais
Professor and Shell Endowed Chair in Oceanography and Wetland Studies
225-578-8531
nrabal@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Coastal change; eutrophication and hypoxia; cumulative coastal stressors; historical reconstruction of ecosystem changes from sediments; pelagic and benthic processes; human impacts in wetland and coastal ecosystems; science policy

Bob RohliRobert V. Rohli
Professor
225-578-6346
rohli@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Coastal weather and climate, atmospheric circulation variability, atmospheric hazards, tropical cyclone dynamics, surface-atmosphere interactions, synoptic meteorology and climatology, geoscience education, history of science

Robert TwilleyRobert Twilley
Professor
225-578-6710 
rtwilley@lsu.edu 




Nan WalkerNan D. Walker
Professor and James P. Morgan Distinguished Professor of Coastal Studies; Director, Earth Scan Laboratory
225-578-2395
nwalker@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Physical oceanography, Satellite oceanography, Estuarine-shelf exchange processes, Air-sea interactions and tropical cyclone intensity, Gulf of Mexico Loop Current and eddy circulations, Physical-biological interactions, Physical processes affecting coral reef health

John WhiteJohn R. White
John and Catherine Day Professor and Associate Dean of Research of the College of the Coast & Environment
225-578-8792
jrwhite@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Our research focuses on biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic systems including coastal and freshwater wetlands, estuaries and lake sediments, treatment performance of constructed wetlands for nutrients and pharmaceuticals removal, dynamics of internal nutrient loading, microbial-mediated nutrient transformations, plant-nutrient-soil dynamics.  We provide critical research in helping coastal restoration managers to make informed decisions.

Kevin XuKehui (Kevin) Xu
Professor and Director, Coastal Studies Institute
225-578-0389
kxu@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Coastal restoration; sediment diversion; sediment dredging and management, geological oceanography, coastal morphodynamics, observation and numerical modeling of sediment transport, sedimentary geology, coastal processes

George XueZuo (George) Xue
Associate Professor (Center for Computation and Technology, joint)
225-578-1118
zxue@lsu.edu (Contact me for graduate student opportunities)
Research Interests:
Physical-bio-geochemical modeling; Coastal ocean carbon cycling; Coupled atmospheric-hydrological modeling

 



Emeritus Faculty

Robert CarneyRobert S. Carney
Emeritus Professor
225-578-6511
rcarne1@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Biological oceanography, research administration

 

 

John DayJohn W. Day, Jr.
Emeritus Professor
225-578-6508
johnday@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Estuarine Ecology, Systems Ecology, Wetland Ecology, Ecological Modeling, Effects of Humans on Natural Systems, Tropical Coastal Ecology, Energy, Sustainability, Urban Dynamics

 

Ronald DeLauneRonald DeLaune
Emeritus Professor
225-578-6421
rdelaun@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Biogeochemical cycling, Wetland Biogeochemistry, coastal processes, non-point source pollution, coastal restoration, soil-plant interactions, coastal marsh stability, sedimentation processes, wetland plant ecology, degradation and bioremediation of toxic organics, heavy metal chemistry, ecotoxicology, greenhouse gases.

 

Charles LindauCharles Lindau
Emeritus Professor
225-578-8766
clinda1@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Nitrogen transformations in flooded soils and sediments, stable isotopes, greenhouse gases, oil spill remediation, point and non-point pollution

 

Irving MendelssohnIrving A. Mendelssohn
Emeritus Professor
225-578-6425
imendel@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Wetland and barrier island plant ecology, plant physiological ecology

 

 

Harry RobertsHarry H. Roberts
Emeritus Boyd Professor
225-578-2964
hrober3@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Marine geology, sedimentology, deltaic and reef processes

 

 

Richard ShawRichard F. Shaw
Emeritus Professor
225-578-3334
rshaw@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Larval/juvenile fish habitat and ecology; biological/fisheries oceanography; transport and recruitment mechanisms and coastal-estuarine processes; age, growth and mortality analyses, fisheries and global climate change, research administration

Eugene TurnerR. Eugene Turner
Emeritus Boyd Professor
225-578-6454
euturne@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Biological oceanography, conservation, environmental management, estuarine ecology, fisheries ecology, restoration, sustainable systems, wetlands

 



Adjunct Faculty

Melissa BaustianMelissa M. Baustian
Adjunct Professor, College of the Coast & Environment, USGS Ecologist
337-266-8500
mbaustian@usgs.gov
Research Interests:
Assessing how pelagic, benthic, and vegetated habitats of coastal ecosystems support functions of nutrient cycling, trophic dynamics of food webs, and carbon sequestration; understanding how microphytobenthos are influenced by nutrient enrichment, climate change, and coastal restoration

Brian RobertsBrian Roberts
Adjunct Professor, College of the Coast & Environment, LUMCON Executive Director and Chief Scientist
985-851-2801
broberts@lumcon.edu
Research Interests:
Ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry, particularly focused on terrestrial-aquatic and community-ecosystem linkages along the aquatic continuum; human-induced environmental impacts on aquatic ecosystems; restoration ecology

Jacob BerkowitzJacob Berkowitz
Adjunct Professor, College of the Coast & Environment, USACE Research Soil Scientist
601-529-3115
jberko@lsu.edu 
Research Interests:
Hydric soils, wetland assessment, restoration, biogeochemistry, forested wetlands, beneficial use of dredged sediments technology transfer

 

Marcelo CohenMarcelo Cancela Lisboa Cohen
Adjunct Professor
786-449-9749
mccohen@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Holocene and Anthropocene history of mangrove dynamics on the Brazilian coast and Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions, remote sensing, fossil pollen, stable isotopes and sedimentary features to reconstruct environments impacted by sea-level fluctuations and climate changes



Research Associates and Post-doctoral Researchers

Anandkumar Arumugam
aarumugam@lsu.edu
225-578-9370
1165 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Thomas Blanchard
tblanc9@lsu.edu 
225-578-9370
3197 Energy, Coast and Environment Building 

Chris Cleaver
ccleav1@lsu.edu 
225-578-5869
119 Sea Grant Shop

Maelle Cornic
mcornic@lsu.edu
2247 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Darren Depew
ddepew2@lsu.edu
225-578-8606

Dana Doucet
dedoucet@lsu.edu
3199 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Frank Driscoll
fdriscoll@lsu.edu
2267 Energy, Coast & Environment Buillding

Victoria Garza
vgarza6@lsu.edu
3151 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Jesbin George
jgeorge2@lsu.edu
2211 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Alaric Haag
haag@lsu.edu

Kaitlyn Hall
khall66@lsu.edu
2267 Energy, Coast & Environmentt Building

Fenglin Han
fhan3@lsu.edu

Songie HeSongjie He
DOCS Post-doc / DES Adjunct Professor
225-578-76590
she5@lsu.edu
2147  Energy, Coast & Environment Building
Research Interests:
Carbon and nutrient cycling in coastal wetlands, such as marsh lateral carbon fluxes and air-water greenhouse gas fluxes in marshes

 

Thinh D Huynh
thuyn18@lsu.edu

Song Li
sli10@lsu.edu
3191 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Jinliang Liu
jliu73@lsu.edu

Yixin Luo
ylou2@lsu.edu

Brian Milan
bmilan1@lsu.edu 

Mark Miller
mmill16@lsu.edu
225-578-7782
107 Sea Grant Shop

Sophia Nelson
snels34@lsu.edu
3201 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Mike Rabalais
mrabalais@lsu.edu
1002 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Jessica Richardson
jturner5@lsu.edu
3243 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Kelsey Roberts
kroberts3@lsu.edu
2173 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Emily R. Savoie
enall1@lsu.edu

Shae Schreckengost
sschreckengost@lsu.edu
2176 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Angela Stahl
astahl@lsu.edu
1243 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Erick Swenson
eswenson@lsu.edu 
225-578-2730
1192 Energy, Coast and Environment Building

Ivan Vargas
ivarga2@lsu.edu
3201 Energy, Coast and Environment Building

Lixia Wang
lxwang@lsu.edu 
225-578-5213
2223 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Gina Woods
gwoods8@lsu.edu
3231 Energy, Coast & Environment Building

Edward Weeks
eweeks1@lsu.edu
225-578-9399
W0208B Howe Russell Kniffen West Geoscience Building

Qiang Yao
qyao4@lsu.edu 
225-200-5299 (cell)
3279/3280 Energy, Coast and Environment Building