Donald Cahoon, Ph.D.
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
Restoring marsh elevation in a rapidly subsiding salt marsh by thin-layer deposition of dredged material
Global warming, sea-level rise, and coastal marsh survival
Vertical accretion and shallow subsidence in a mangrove forest of southwestern Florida, U.S.A
Improved cryogenic coring device for sampling wetland soils
Marsh vertical accretion in a Southern California Estuary, U.S.A
The influence of Hurricane Andrew on sediment distribution in Louisiana coastal marshes
Disturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew
Estimating shallow subsidence in microtidal salt marshes of the southeastern United States: Kaye and Barghoorn revisited
Recent accretion in two managed marsh impoundments in coastal Louisiana
Marsh submergence vs. marsh accretion: Interpreting accretion deficit data in coastal Louisiana
Structural marsh management research priorities
Mitigating oil and gas impacts in coastal wetlands
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Restoring marsh elevation in a rapidly subsiding salt marsh by thin-layer deposition of dredged material
Thin-layer deposition of dredged material on coastal marsh by means of high-pressure spray dredging (Jet-Spray??2) technology has been proposed as a mechanism to minimize wetland impacts associated with traditional bucket dredging technologies and to restore soil elevations in deteriorated marshes of the Mississippi River delta. The impact of spray dredging on vegetated marsh and adjacent shallow-AuthorsM.A. Ford, Donald R. Cahoon, J.C. LynchGlobal warming, sea-level rise, and coastal marsh survival
Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. These wetlands at the land-ocean margin provide many direct benefits to humans, including habitat for commercially important fisheries and wildlife; storm protection; improved water quality through sediment, nutrient, and pollution removal; recreation; and aesthetic values. These valuable ecosystems will be highly vulnerablAuthorsDonald R. CahoonVertical accretion and shallow subsidence in a mangrove forest of southwestern Florida, U.S.A
Simultaneous measurements of vertical accretion from artificial soil marker horizons and soil elevation change from sedimentation-erosion table (SET) plots were used to evaluate the processes related to soil building in range, basin, and overwash mangrove forests located in a low-energy lagoon which recieves minor inputs of terregenous sediments. Vertical accretion measures reflect the contributioAuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, J.C. LynchImproved cryogenic coring device for sampling wetland soils
Design of a device to freeze soils to prevent compaction, dewatering, and loss of flocculent material and allow soil sampling.AuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, J.C. Lynch, R.M. KnausMarsh vertical accretion in a Southern California Estuary, U.S.A
Vertical accretion was measured between October 1992 and March 1994 in low and high saltmarsh zones in the north arm of Tijuana estuary from feldspar market horizons and soil corings. Accretion in the Spartina foliosa low marsh (2-8.5 cm) was related almost entirely to episodic storm-induced river flows between January and March 1993, with daily tidal flooding contributing little or no sediment duAuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, J.C. Lynch, A.N. PowellThe influence of Hurricane Andrew on sediment distribution in Louisiana coastal marshes
The areal extent and temporal patterns of sediment deposition in delta marshes and shallow water bodies of Louisiana associated with the passage of Hurricane Andrew were determined from sediment traps, marker horizons, and benchmarks deployed for other studies. Data were collected over different time scales from 11 sites representing salt, brackish, and intermediate marshes, shallow water substratAuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, Denise J. Reed, J.W. Day, Gregory Steyer, R.M. Boumans, James C. Lynch, David McNally, Numair LatifDisturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew
The impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Louisiana coastal landscape and the initial recovery of wetland plant communities was determined from extensive surveys of a large geographic region of coastal marsh near Atchafalaya Bay and intensive studies of an oligohaline marsh on Otter Bayou. Wind and water movements associated with the hurricane resulted in the formation of compressed marsh, thick sedimAuthorsGlenn R. Guntenspergen, Donald R. Cahoon, James B. Grace, Gregory D. Steyer, Stephen Fournet, M. A. Townson, A. Lee FooteEstimating shallow subsidence in microtidal salt marshes of the southeastern United States: Kaye and Barghoorn revisited
Simultaneous measurements of vertical accretion and change in surface elevation relative to a shallow (3-5 m) subsurface datum were made in selected coastal salt marshes of Louisiana, Florida, and North Carolina to quantitatively test Kaye and Barghoorn's contention that vertical accretion is not a good surrogate for surface elevation change because of autocompaction of the substrate. Rates of subAuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, D.J. Reed, J.W. DayRecent accretion in two managed marsh impoundments in coastal Louisiana
Recent accretion was measured by the feldspar marker horizon method in two gravity-drained, managed, marsh impoundments and unmanaged reference marshes located on the rapidly subsiding coast of Louisiana. Water level management was designed to limit hydrologic exchange to the managed marsh by regulating the direction and rate of water flows. During a drawdown-flooding water management cycle, the uAuthorsDonald R. CahoonMarsh submergence vs. marsh accretion: Interpreting accretion deficit data in coastal Louisiana
The apparent imbalance between relative sea-level rise and vertical marsh accretion is frequently cited as a major factor in the problem of wetland loss in Louisiana. Rates of relative sea-level rise are high in Louisiana due to high rates of subsidence. Although marsh accretion rates are also high, they are usually insufficient to maintain the relative elevation of the marsh surface. This situatiAuthorsDenise J. Reed, Donald R. CahoonStructural marsh management research priorities
The paper presents a prioritized list of research issues related to structural marsh management developed by a multidisciplinary panel of regulatory agency representatives, landowners, and scientists. More than 75 issues were identified concerning landscape changes, influence on ecological processes (i.e., hydrologic, biologic, and edaphic factors), habitat quality, cumulative impacts, and managemAuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, Charles G. GroatMitigating oil and gas impacts in coastal wetlands
This abstract refers to technical recommendations for avoiding, minimizing, and restoring (i.e., mitigating) drilling site access impacts related to oil and gas activities in coastal wetlands through regulatory review, drawing mostly from the Louisiana experience. The two standard methods used to access wetland drilling locations are canals and roads, both of which require dredging. Each access meAuthorsDonald R. Cahoon, Joseph C. Holmes