Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Directory
Department Administration | Faculty | Emeritus Faculty | Adjunct Faculty | Post-docs and Researchers
Department Chair
Kanchan 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
Heather Weeden
Travel/Purchasing Coordinator
225-578-2060
hweeden@lsu.edu
Faculty (A-Z)
Sibel 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 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.
Jennifer R. Brum
Assistant Professor
225-578-6364
jbrum1@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Ecology and biogeochemical impacts of aquatic viruses
Michael Dance
Associate 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
Christopher 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 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
Cassandra 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 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.
Matthew 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 Holstein
Associate 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 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 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 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 Liang
Associate Professor, Center for Computation and Technology
225-578-7031
jliang@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Physical Oceanography; Ocean Biogeochemical Dynamis; Ocean modeling
Kam-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 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 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.
Stephen 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 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 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)
Tracy 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 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
Robert 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 Twilley
Professor
225-578-6710
rtwilley@lsu.edu
Nan 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 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.
Kehui (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
Zuo (George) Xue
Professor (joint appointment with the Center for Computation and Technology)
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 S. Carney
Emeritus Professor
225-578-6511
rcarne1@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Biological oceanography, research administration
John 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 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 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 A. Mendelssohn
Emeritus Professor
225-578-6425
imendel@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Wetland and barrier island plant ecology, plant physiological ecology
Harry H. Roberts
Emeritus Boyd Professor
225-578-2964
hrober3@lsu.edu
Research Interests:
Marine geology, sedimentology, deltaic and reef processes
Richard 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
R. 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 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 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 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 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
Kaitlyn Hall
khall66@lsu.edu
2267 Energy, Coast & Environmentt Building
Fenglin Han
fhan3@lsu.edu
Songjie 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