Davina L Passeri, PhD
My research is focused on developing integrated models of hydrodynamics and coastal morphology to predict short- and long-term coastal evolution and applying these models to assess coastal vulnerability to drivers such as storms and sea level rise to inform management decision-making.
Biography
Davina Passeri is a Research Oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey. Her research is concentrated in numerical modeling of tides, waves, hurricane storm surge and barrier island morphology to understand how the coast may evolve in future under drivers such as extreme storms and sea level rise. She is involved in research projects focused on:
- Dynamic effects of sea level rise on coastal hydrodynamics and morphology
- Short- and long-term barrier island evolution
- Estuarine and marsh evolution
- Transdisciplinary biogeophysical assessments
- Coastal vulnerability and restoration assessments
The results from her work are used to improve the scientific knowledge on the effects of short- and long-term drivers in coastal evolution and to inform coastal management decision-making.
Education
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 2010
Ph.D. Civil Engineering, University of Central Florida, 2015
Mendenhall Post-Doctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, 2015-2017
Science and Products
Estuarine and MaRsh Geology Research Project
The goal of the Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) Research Project is to study how and where short- and long-term marsh and estuarine coastal processes interact, how they influence coastal accretion or erosion, and how they pre-condition a marsh’s resiliency to storms, sea-level change, and human alterations along the northern Gulf of Mexico (Grand Bay and Point aux Chenes, Mississippi and St...
Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution
Predicting the decadal evolution of barrier island systems is important for coastal managers who propose restoration or preservation alternatives aimed at increasing the resiliency of the island and its associated habitats or communities. Existing numerical models for simulating morphologic changes typically include either long-term (for example,...
Mickey, Rangley C.; Long, Joseph W.; Dalyander, P. Soupy ; Jenkins, Robert L.; Thompson, David M.; Passeri, Davina L.; Plant, Nathaniel G.
Combining numerical and statistical models to predict storm-induced dune erosion
Dune erosion is an important aspect to consider when assessing coastal flood risk, as dune elevation loss makes the protected areas more susceptible to flooding. However, most advanced dune erosion numerical models are computationally expensive, which hinders their application in early-warning systems. Based on a combination of probabilistic and...
Malagon-Santos, Victor; Wahl, Thomas; Long, Joseph W; Passeri, Davina L.; Plant, Nathaniel G. Surrogate model development for coastal dune erosion under storm conditions
Early coastal dune erosion predictions are essential to avoid potential flood consequences but most dune erosion numerical models are computationally expensive, hence their application in Early Warning Systems is limited. Here, based on a combination of optimally sampled synthetic sea storms with a calibrated and validated XBeach model, we develop...
Malagon-Santos, Victor; Wahl, Thomas; Long, Joseph W; Passeri, Davina L.; Plant, Nathaniel G.
Effects of proposed navigation channel improvements on sediment transport in Mobile Harbor, Alabama
A Delft3D model was developed to evaluate the potential effects of proposed navigationchannel deepening and widening in Mobile Harbor, Alabama. The model performance wasassessed through comparisons of modeled and observed data of water levels, velocities, and bedlevel changes; the model captured hydrodynamic and sediment transport patterns in the...
Passeri, Davina L.; Long, Joseph W.; Jenkins, Robert L.; Thompson, David M. Dynamic modeling of barrier island response to hurricane storm surge under future sea level rise
Sea level rise (SLR) has the potential to exacerbate the impacts of extreme storm events on the coastal landscape. This study examines the coupled interactions of SLR on storm-driven hydrodynamics and barrier island morphology. A numerical model is used to simulate the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic impacts of two Gulf of Mexico hurricanes under...
Passeri, Davina L.; Bilskie, Matthew V.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Long, Joseph W.; Hagen, Scott C.
Coastal estuaries and lagoons: The delicate balance at the edge of the sea
Coastal communities are increasingly concerned about the dynamic balance between freshwater and saltwater because of its implications for societal, economic, and ecological resources. While the mixing of freshwater and saltwater sources defines coastal estuaries and lagoons, sudden changes in this balance can have a large effect on critical...
Conrads, Paul A.; Rodgers, Kirk D.; Passeri, Davina L.; Prinos, Scott T.; Smith, Christopher; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Middleton, Beth A.
Barrier-island and estuarine-wetland physical-change assessment after Hurricane Sandy
IntroductionThe Nation’s eastern coast is fringed by beaches, dunes, barrier islands, wetlands, and bluffs. These natural coastal barriers provide critical benefits and services, and can mitigate the impact of storms, erosion, and sea-level rise on our coastal communities. Waves and storm surge resulting from Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall...
Plant, Nathaniel G.; Smith, Kathryn E.L.; Passeri, Davina L.; Smith, Christopher G.; Bernier, Julie C. The influence of bed friction variability due to land cover on storm-driven barrier island morphodynamics
Variations in bed friction due to land cover type have the potential to influence morphologic change during storm events; the importance of these variations can be studied through numerical simulation and experimentation at locations with sufficient observational data to initialize realistic scenarios, evaluate model accuracy and guide...
Passeri, Davina L.; Long, Joseph W.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Bilskie, Matthew V.; Hagen, Scott C. Systems approaches for coastal hazard assessment and resilience
The framework presented herein supports a changing paradigm in the approaches used by coastal researchers, engineers, and social scientists to model the impacts of climate change and sea level rise (SLR) in particular along low-gradient coastal landscapes. Use of a System of Systems (SoS) approach to the coastal dynamics of SLR is encouraged to...
Hagen, Scott C.; Passeri, Davina L.; Bilskie, Matthew V.; DeLorme, Denise E.; Yoskowitz, David Estuarine shoreline and sandline change model skill and predicted probabilities
The Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland Physical Change Assessment was created to calibrate and test probability models of barrier island estuarine shoreline and sandline change for study areas in Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. The models examined the influence of hydrologic and physical variables related to long-term and event-driven (...
Smith, Kathryn E. L.; Passeri, Davina; Plant, Nathaniel G. Dynamic simulation and numerical analysis of hurricane storm surge under sea level rise with geomorphologic changes along the northern Gulf of Mexico
This work outlines a dynamic modeling framework to examine the effects of global climate change, and sea level rise (SLR) in particular, on tropical cyclone-driven storm surge inundation. The methodology, applied across the northern Gulf of Mexico, adapts a present day large-domain, high resolution, tide, wind-wave, and hurricane storm surge model...
Bilskie, Matthew V.; Hagen, S.C.; Alizad, K.A.; Medeiros, S.C.; Passeri, Davina L.; Needham, H.F.; Cox, A. The dynamic effects of sea level rise on low-gradient coastal landscapes: A review
Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shoreline erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events respond nonadditively to SLR. Coastal morphology...
Passeri, Davina L.; Hagen, Scott C.; Medeiros, Stephen C.; Bilskie, Matthew V.; Alizad, Karim; Wang, Dingbao
Oceanographer Davina Passeri participates in a virtual panel discussion on coastal resilience
Davina Passeri, Research Oceanographer at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, was invited to participate in a virtual panel discussion entitled “Closing the Resiliency Gap: What Will it Take?” hosted by St. Petersburg College on April 15.
SPCMSC researcher invited to speak at Queen’s University Beaty Water Research Centre Seminar Series in Canada
SPCMSC researcher Davina Passeri presented her research on integrated modeling of coastal processes in a changing environment at the Queen’s University Beaty Water Research Centre Seminar Series in Kingston, Canada.
New report recommends sea level rise projections for use in the Tampa Bay area
The Tampa Bay Climate Science Advisory Panel (a group of local scientists and resource managers; including Davina Passeri, Research Civil Engineer, SPCMSC) released a new report recommending a set of sea level rise projections for use throughout the Tampa Bay region.