Landscape Ecology, Remote Sensing, and Decision Support for Natural Resources Management
Current Position
Research Physical Scientist
Western Geographic Science Center, Moffett Field, CA
I am an applied landscape ecologist with expertise in vegetation ecology, remote sensing, integrated landscape modeling and stakeholder engagement. I lead interdisciplinary teams in landscape-scale studies of Nature-based Climate Solutions provided by wetlands and working lands. Research topics address coastal ecosystem controls on hurricane impacts, carbon sequestration in tidal marshes, drought resilience in cropland and rangeland, and sustainability of ecosystem services. I integrate models of land use and management, climate and hydrological change to identify potential for climate resilience and adaptation. I analyze multispectral and hyperspectral imagery to quantify ecosystem condition. My work spans the spatial extents of U.S. coastal wetlands, the State of California and large landscapes including the Central Valley, California and Puget Sound, Washington. I emphasize the use of open data and open source software to easily reproduce, update and transfer information. All projects feature extensive outreach to land managers and landowners to aid natural resources decision making.
Current Projects
PI: “Remote Sensing of Mercury Speciation in South San Francisco Bay: Applications of Emerging Technologies to Track Management and Climate Impacts." USGS Bay-Delta Priority Ecosystem Studies Program. 2022 - 2026.
PI: "Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta: An Assessment Approach for Puget Sound Estuaries and USFWS Coastal Refuges." USGS Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and USGS LandCarbon Program. 2019 - 2023.
Co-PI: SHIFT (NASA Surface Biology and Geology High Density Time Series) Field Campaign, "Coastal Wetland Vegetation Trait Dynamics Across Environmental Gradients." NASA SBG. 2022 - 2023. Lead: Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Co-PI: "Coastal Elevation Models and Land Surface Variables for Use in Forecasting Hurricane Impacts." Hurricane Coastal Impacts, Task 1, National Oceanographic Partnership Program. 2021 - 2024. PI: Dean Gesch, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center.
Co-PI: "Quantifying Drivers and Stressors of Intertidal Biofilm Resources at the Largest Tidal Wetland Restoration on the U.S. West Coast." USGS Bay-Delta Priority Ecosystem Studies Program. 2019 - 2023. PI: Susan De La Cruz, USGS Western Ecological Research Center.
Co-PI: "Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Services in the Central Valley of California: Optimizing Across Multiple Benefits." NASA ROSES A.46: Earth Science Applications: Ecological Forecasting. 2017 - 2021. PI: Matt Reiter, Point Blue Conservation Science.
PI: "Remote Sensing and Forecasting Wetland and Watershed Ecosystem Services." USGS National Land Imaging Program. Ongoing.
Professional Experience
Research Physical Scientist, USGS Western Geographic Science Center, 2016 - present
Physical Scientist, USGS Western Geographic Science Center, 2009 - 2016
GIS Coordinator, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, 2007 - 2008
Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, U.C. Berkeley, 2006
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementM.A., San Francisco State University
Ecology and SystematicsB.S., Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Environmental Science
Affiliations and Memberships*
Co-Chair, California Biodiversity Network Systematic Conservation Planning Roundtable, 2023 - present
Councillor-at-Large and Chair, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee, International Association of Landscape Ecology-North America, 2019 - 2023
San Francisco Bay Wetland Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2021 - present
NASA Biodiversity and Ecological Forecasting Team member, 2017 - 2021
NASA Surface Biology and Geology Algorithms Working Group member, 2019 - present
USGS Spectroscopy and Hyperspectral Imaging Collaboration member, 2019 - present
Member, Society for Conservation Biology, International Association for Landscape Ecology-North America
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Service Award, International Association for Landscape Ecology - North American Region, 2022
Science and Products
Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models
Remote Sensing of Mercury Pollution in South San Francisco Bay
A Tool for Rapid-Repeat High-Resolution Coastal Vegetation Maps to Improve Forecasting of Hurricane Impacts and Coastal Resilience
Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models
The USGS is collaborating with researchers from other agencies, academia, and industry to predict coastal impacts from hurricanes. The results from this study will better inform coastal morphological change models, which will lead to improved hurricane impact projections.Remote Sensing of Mercury Pollution in South San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay has a long history of being subject to natural resources exploitation and pollution. Ongoing flux of contaminants into the bay, legacy pollution from the Gold Rush era and structural modifications still influence the natural ecosystem today. This project aims to map multiple forms (i.e. species) of mercury -- one of the major contaminants in the bay -- to help inform restoration...A Tool for Rapid-Repeat High-Resolution Coastal Vegetation Maps to Improve Forecasting of Hurricane Impacts and Coastal Resilience
We will develop and publish a stand-alone Python script to produce high-frequency and high-spatial resolution coastal vegetation maps that leverage new Planet 8-band 3m images, USGS CoNED topo-bathy DEMs, and 3DEP Height Above Ground data. These products will help improve forecasts of hurricane impacts.Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
The Nisqually River Delta represents the largest wetland restoration in the Pacific Northwest. The restoration resulted in a 50% increase in potential salt marsh habitat. The Delta supports threatened salmon fisheries, large populations of migratory birds, and provides unique opportunities for recreation. The Delta also provides multiple ecosystem services, which are the benefits that wildlife orApplied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
We focus on landscape studies of natural and working lands, in particular coastal and inland wetlands and rangelands. We quantify ecosystem benefits, find areas vulnerable to future change, and identify potential for climate mitigation and resilience. We conduct research by scaling field measurements to the regional, state and national scale with remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and modeling... - Data
- Web Tools
- News
*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