Donald R. Cahoon, PhD, is a senior research ecologist with the U. S. Geological Survey at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland and an internationally recognized expert in tidal wetland elevation dynamics and wetland vulnerability to climate change effects (e.g., sea-level rise and storms).
He is a Fellow and Past President of the Society of Wetland Scientists. Trained as a botanist and plant ecologist, he has spent the past 30 years working as a physical geographer. In 1992 he developed a field method for measuring tidal wetland accretion and elevation dynamics (the surface elevation table – marker horizon (SET-MH) method) that is used by scientists in coastal wetlands throughout the United States and in 32 countries for evaluating the critical driving forces and subsurface processes controlling elevation, and the impact of current management and restoration practices on elevation dynamics and wetland stability. His research focuses on the processes and external drivers that control wetland elevation dynamics and wetland sustainability across the broad spectrum of coastal environmental settings.
Education/Training:
- BA, Drew University, 1972, Botany
- MS, University of Maryland, 1975, Plant Ecology
- PhD, University of Maryland, 1982, Plant Ecology
Awards:
- DOI, Distinguished Service Award, 2017
- Merit Award, Society of Wetland Scientists, 2011
- Fellow, Society of Wetland Scientists, 2011
- President, Society of Wetland Scientists, 1997-1998
- USGS, Global Change Research Program funding, 1991-present
- Star Award: 1998, 2001, 2006, 2009
Science and Products
Surface Elevation Table
Hurricane Sandy Impacts on Coastal Wetland Resilience in the Northeast United States
Science and Products
- Science
Surface Elevation Table
The Surface Elevation Table (SET) is a portable mechanical leveling device for measuring the relative elevation change of wetland sediments. This website presents information on the purpose, design, and use of the SET. The website is specifically designed to be a forum for researchers in wetland science who use or might use the device and to offer more information about the proper use of the SET...Hurricane Sandy Impacts on Coastal Wetland Resilience in the Northeast United States
The Challenge: The high winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Sandy impacted coastal wetlands from Virginia to Maine. Understanding the ecological and geological impacts of hurricanes on coastal wetlands and their interactive effects with local conditions is important for identifying resilience of these communities to predicted global sea-level rise. Given the projected increase in... - Data
- Publications