Lisa V. Lucas
Lisa Lucas is a Research General Engineer with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
INTEGRATES physics with biology, and mathematical models with field observations, to understand how aquatic ecosystems work
COLLABORATES with scientists of multiple disciplines to implement a whole-ecosystem “climate to the clams” approach for understanding how complex aquatic systems may respond to changes in climate, management and infrastructure over this century (CASCaDE project)
- Applies engineering training to study how environmental fluid dynamics interacts with and drives water quality and ecological processes
- Thinks of herself as an "Ecohydrodynamicist", but her friends call her things like "Hydro-phydamicist" (which she doesn't mind).
- Focus is largely on tidal systems, with some work applying generally to rivers and lakes
- Develops and applies models across the spectrum of simple algebraic relationships on up to 3D numerical models of coupled hydrodynamics and ecological processes at ecosystem scale
- Loved being brought up in USGS as a member of Jim Cloern's Plankton Dynamics Team
- Graduate work at Stanford University in the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering) with Professors Jeff Koseff and Stephen Monismith
- Undergrad alma mater is University of Notre Dame (the one in South Bend, Indiana)--GO IRISH!
- Situated within the USGS Water Resources Mission Area in the Integrated Modeling & Prediction Division/Earth Systems Modeling Branch
Science and Products
CASCaDE: Computational Assessments of Scenarios of Change for the Delta Ecosystem
The Delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers provides drinking water supplies to two-thirds of Californians, and is a fragile ecosystem home to threatened and endangered species. The CASCaDE project builds on several decades of USGS science to address the goals of achieving water supply reliability and restoring the ecosystems in the Bay-Delta system.
Science and Products
CASCaDE: Computational Assessments of Scenarios of Change for the Delta Ecosystem
The Delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers provides drinking water supplies to two-thirds of Californians, and is a fragile ecosystem home to threatened and endangered species. The CASCaDE project builds on several decades of USGS science to address the goals of achieving water supply reliability and restoring the ecosystems in the Bay-Delta system.