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Bill Labiosa, Ph.D.

As a Regional Science Coordinator, Bill works closely with USGS science centers, national programs, and external partners to foster strategic collaborative science initiatives and projects.

Bill Labiosa is a Regional Science Coordinator for the USGS Northwest-Pacific Islands region which encompasses Department of the Interior Regions 9 and 12. Bill serves as the Puget Sound Coordinator for the USGS Priority Ecosystem Studies Program and chairs the Federal Science and Monitoring Work Group for the Puget Sound Federal Task Force.

Prior to joining the Region, Bill served as a research scientist with the Western Geographic Science Center in Menlo Park, CA, serving as Principal Investigator for the South Florida and Puget Sound Ecosystem Portfolio Model projects.  Bill was appointed to the Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel in 2009, with continuous service since.

Bill’s early scientific background focused on aquatic chemistry and mineral surface chemistry, focusing on trace metal speciation and sorption studies and modeling.  After working for the USEPA Office of Water, Bill’s research focus turned to the intersection of watershed-scale contaminant fate and transport modeling, uncertainty assessment, Bayesian probabilistic modeling, and decision analysis, within the context of supporting ecosystem recovery and protection efforts.  

Professional Experience

  • 2014–present: Regional Science Coordinator, DOI Regions 9 & 12, Seattle, WA

  • 2018–present: Puget Sound Priority Ecosystems Studies Coordinator, USGS, Seattle, WA

  • 2001–2014: Research Physical Scientist, Western Geographic Science Center, USGS, Menlo Park, CA

  • 1997–2001: Environmental Engineer, Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

  • 1995–1997: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fellow at USGS, Reston, VA

  • 1991–1993: Project Manager, Chemical Waste Management, Houston, TX

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Science with a minor in Management Science and Engineering (Stanford University)

  • M.S. in Environmental Geochemistry specializing in mineral surface chemistry (Stanford University)

  • M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering specializing in aqueous chemistry (Duke University)

  • B.S. in Chemistry (Davidson College)

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • 2009–2021: Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel member, former Vice-Chair (2011)

  • 2009–present: Puget Sound Federal Task Force (Caucus) Representative for USGS

  • 2017–present: Chair, Puget Sound Federal Science and Monitoring Work Group (Federal Task Force)

Honors and Awards

  • 2015–2016: National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) Fellow

  • 2012–2015: Visiting Scholar, Puget Sound Institute, University of Washington; developed Bayesian-network methodology for the 2014 Puget Sound Pressures Assessment

  • 2009–2012: Advisory Committee for the Natural Capital Project, marine “InVEST” (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) project, Stanford University

Science and Products

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Aerial photograph of a wetland area, with waterways, islands, peninsulas, and a town visible.

Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound

A Pacific Northwest icon, Puget Sound is the second-largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to growth in human population and urbanization. This growth has played a role in degrading the Sound...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Washington Water Science Center
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Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound

A Pacific Northwest icon, Puget Sound is the second-largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to growth in human population and urbanization. This growth has played a role in degrading the Sound...
Learn More
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Satellite image of study area, showing forests, a bay or inlet, and estuaries and rivers.

PS-CoSMoS: Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System

The CoSMoS model is currently available for most of the California coast and is now being expanded to support the 4.5 million coastal residents of the Puget Sound region, with emphasis on the communities bordering the sound.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
link

PS-CoSMoS: Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System

The CoSMoS model is currently available for most of the California coast and is now being expanded to support the 4.5 million coastal residents of the Puget Sound region, with emphasis on the communities bordering the sound.
Learn More
Water is Life for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Water is Life for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

For the Swinomish people of northwestern Washington, water is life. But this symbiotic relationship between man and nature has been disrupted, and...

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Science and Products

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government