Dr. Michelle Staudinger is Science Coordinator of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC), one of the nine regional centers that form the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center network.
Dr. Michelle Staudinger is the Science Coordinator for the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was originally trained as a fish ecologist studying trophic dynamics in coastal and marine systems. She received her B.S. in Marine Biology and Environmental Science from Boston University, her M.S. in Marine and Atmospheric Science from Stony Brook University, and her Ph.D. in Marine Science and Technology and Natural Resources Conservation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to her position with USGS, Michelle held a position as Visiting Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology at the University North Carolina Wilmington where she studied the biodiversity, ecological structure and function of open ocean communities. From there, Michelle held a joint post-doctoral position with the National CASC and the Missouri Cooperative Research Unit where she co-led the development of the technical input on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services as a contribution to the 3rd National Climate Assessment (NCA); she also served on the Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services sector team for the 2018 NCA. Michelle’s current work is multifaceted, working with a variety of state, federal, tribal, and non-government partners to understand the socioecological impacts of climate change on natural and cultural resources. Recent projects have taken ecosystem-based approaches to understand climate-induced shifts in phenology of coastal fish and wildlife including diadromous fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Additionally, Michelle has studied how the growing impacts of sea level rise, coastal storms, and flooding increases the risk and vulnerability of intertidal and coastal habitats and dependent species. Through all of these activities, Michelle has worked to coordinate across diverse groups of scientists, managers, and conservation practitioners to develop and synthesize information that supports climate adaptation planning at local, regional, and national scales.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Marine Science & Technology and Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst
M.S. in Marine & Atmospheric Science, Stony Brook University
B.S. in Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Boston University
Science and Products
A Regional Synthesis of Climate Data to Inform the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeast U.S.
CASC Fish Research
CASC Fish Research
The CASC Fish Research Program addresses the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, adaptation, and sustainable use.
Seabird Diets in a Warming Climate: An Assessment of the Relationships of Terns (Sterna sp.) and their Prey in the Northern Breeding Range
Framework for Protecting Aquatic Biodiversity in the Northeast Under Changing Climates
Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Webinar: Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Enhancing the Reliability and Usability of Climate Change Information for Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeastern United States
Mapping Salt Marsh Response to Sea Level Rise and Evaluating 'Runneling' as an Adaptation Technique to Inform Wildlife Habitat Management in New England
A Novel Monitoring Framework to Assess Intertidal Biodiversity in Mixed Coarse Substrate Habitats Across the Boston Harbor Islands
Empowering decision-makers: A dynamic web interface for running Bayesian networks
Slowing the Flow for Climate Resilience: Reducing Vulnerability to Extreme Flood and Drought Events
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
Filter Total Items: 18
A Regional Synthesis of Climate Data to Inform the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeast U.S.
The State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) are proactive planning documents, known as “comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies.” SWAPs assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify current management and conservation challenges, and outline needed actions to conserve natural resources over the long term. SWAPs are revised every 10 years, with the last revision in 2015 and t...CASC Fish Research
The CASC Fish Research Program is a dynamic group of federal researchers and early-career scientists working together to explore the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable use.CASC Fish Research
The CASC Fish Research Program addresses the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, adaptation, and sustainable use.
Seabird Diets in a Warming Climate: An Assessment of the Relationships of Terns (Sterna sp.) and their Prey in the Northern Breeding Range
The Northeast coast of the United States is an important area for a variety of native nesting seabirds including Common, Least, Arctic, and the federally endangered Roseate terns. These species migrate to the Northeast region to take advantage of highly productive waters during late spring and early summer to breed and raise their young. During this period, adults are highly dependent on local preFramework for Protecting Aquatic Biodiversity in the Northeast Under Changing Climates
Aquatic ecosystems provide habitat and migration corridors to a myriad of species, including plants, fishes, amphibians, birds, mammals, and insects. These ecosystems typically contain relatively higher biodiversity than their terrestrial counterparts; yet, aquatic biodiversity loss in North America is occurring at a rate five times faster than in terrestrial ecosystems. One of the major causes ofIncreasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Fish that migrate between fresh and salt waters, called diadromous fishes, are integral to coastal Tribal cultures as subsistence foods. Throughout their Northeast range, diadromous fish populations have shown strong declines over recent decades due to the combined impacts of habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. These changes have led to decreasing access to traditional subsisWebinar: Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
View this webinar to learn how warming conditions are affecting the seasonal timing of recurring life history events (such as breeding, feeding, and movements) for species across the Gulf of Maine.Enhancing the Reliability and Usability of Climate Change Information for Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeastern United States
The northeastern U.S. is home to a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, leading to a variety of interactions occurring between species and climate on multiple scales. Therefore, the most effective strategy to produce and deliver scientific climate information to resource managers is to align the scales of climate projections with the scales of resource management actions. While availablMapping Salt Marsh Response to Sea Level Rise and Evaluating 'Runneling' as an Adaptation Technique to Inform Wildlife Habitat Management in New England
Loss of saltmarsh habitat is one of the biggest threats to coastal sustainability in the Northeast. Salt marsh has been identified as an essential fish and wildlife habitat, and loss of saltmarsh corresponds with precipitous declines in marsh-dependent wildlife. For example, the global population of Saltmarsh Sparrow is predicted to collapse within the next 50 years after experiencing a 9% annualA Novel Monitoring Framework to Assess Intertidal Biodiversity in Mixed Coarse Substrate Habitats Across the Boston Harbor Islands
The Northeast U.S. coast is experiencing some of the fastest rates of sea level rise in the world. The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is particularly at risk from sea level rise and coastal storm impacts. Erosion and storm impacts have already led to the degradation of shoreline habitats and protective structures (e.g., sea walls), as well as direct impacts to historic landmarks onEmpowering decision-makers: A dynamic web interface for running Bayesian networks
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are at the forefront of research that is critical for decision-making, particularly through the development of models (Bayesian networks, or BNs) that forecast coastal change. The utility of these tools outside the scientific community has been limited because they rely on expensive, technical software and a moderate understanding of statistical analyses. WSlowing the Flow for Climate Resilience: Reducing Vulnerability to Extreme Flood and Drought Events
In the Northeastern U.S., climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme precipitation events. However, less rain is predicted to fall in between these extreme events and air temperatures are also expected to rise. This combination of conditions will likely expose the Northeast to both floods and droughts that will have significant ecological, social, and economic implications for - News
- Data
- Multimedia