Neil Kamal Ganju, PhD
My research spans the multiple disciplines that converge in estuarine systems. Research projects include numerical model development, field observations of hydrodynamics and water quality, wetland and coastal vulnerability assessments, geomorphic change, and eutrophication.
In 2001, I began working for the USGS at the California Water Science Center, on the San Francisco Bay Sediment Transport Project with Dr. David Schoellhamer. In 2008 I moved to the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center and began multiple projects throughout the northeast US. The Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems project, started in 2015, details the past and ongoing studies we are involved with.
Professional Experience
2010-present: Research Oceanographer, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
2008-2010: Hydraulic Engineer, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
2001-2008: Hydraulic Engineer, California Water Science Center
Education and Certifications
I studied civil engineering at the University of Michigan (BSCE), the University of Florida (MSCE), and the University of California-Davis (Ph.D.).
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Filter Total Items: 76
Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023) Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023)
Extended time-series sensor data were collected between 2012 and 2016 in surface water of a tidal salt-marsh creek on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The objective of this field study was to measure water chemical characteristics and flows, as part of a study to quantify lateral fluxes of dissolved carbon species between the salt marsh and estuary. Data consist of in-situ measurements including...
Aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights: Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), February 27th, 2018 Aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights: Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), February 27th, 2018
Low-altitude (80 and 100 meters above ground level) digital images were taken over an area of the Plum Island Estuary and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts using 3DR Solo unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on February 27, 2018. These images were collected as part of an effort to document marsh stability over time and quantify sediment movement using UAS technology. Each...
COAWST Modeling System v3.4 COAWST Modeling System v3.4
Coupled ocean atmosphere wave sediment transport modeling system
Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts
Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio (UVVR) in the Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) salt marsh complex and approximal wetlands is computed based on conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2019). UVVR was calculated based on U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) 1-meter resolution imagery. Through scientific efforts initiated with the...
Mean tidal range in marsh units of Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts Mean tidal range in marsh units of Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts
Biomass production is positively correlated with mean tidal range in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of the United States of America. Recent studies support the idea that enhanced stability of the marshes can be attributed to increased vegetative growth due to increased tidal range. This dataset displays the spatial variation of mean tidal range (i.e. Mean Range of Tides, MN) in...
Elevation of marsh units in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts Elevation of marsh units in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts
Elevation distribution in the Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) salt marsh complex and approximal wetlands is given in terms of mean elevation of conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2019). The elevation data is based on the 1-meter resolution Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED), where data gaps exist. Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy...
Filter Total Items: 121
Seagrass impact on sediment exchange between tidal flats and salt Marsh, and the sediment budget of shallow bays Seagrass impact on sediment exchange between tidal flats and salt Marsh, and the sediment budget of shallow bays
Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that strongly impact their physical and biological surroundings and are therefore frequently referred to as ecological engineers. The effect of seagrasses on coastal bay resilience and sediment transport dynamics is understudied. Here we use six historical maps of seagrass distribution in Barnegat Bay, USA, to investigate the role of these vegetated...
Authors
Carmine Donatelli, Neil Kamal Ganju, Sergio Fagherazzi, Nicoletta Leonardi
Storm impacts on hydrodynamics and suspended-sediment fluxes in a microtidal back-barrier estuary Storm impacts on hydrodynamics and suspended-sediment fluxes in a microtidal back-barrier estuary
Recent major storms have piqued interest in understanding the responses of estuarine hydrodynamics and sediment transport to these events. To that end, flow velocity, wave characteristics, and suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) were measured for 11 months at eight locations in Chincoteague Bay, MD/VA, USA, a shallow back-barrier estuary. Daily breezes and episodic storms generated...
Authors
Daniel J. Nowacki, Neil K. Ganju
Dynamic interactions between coastal storms and salt marshes: A review Dynamic interactions between coastal storms and salt marshes: A review
This manuscript reviews the progresses made in the understanding of the dynamic interactions between coastal storms and salt marshes, including the dissipation of extreme water levels and wind waves across marsh surfaces, the geomorphic impact of storms on salt marshes, the preservation of hurricanes signals and deposits into the sedimentary records, and the importance of storms for the...
Authors
Nicoletta Leonardi, Iacopo Carnacina, Carmine Donatelli, Neil K. Ganju, Andrew James Plater, Mark Schuerch, Stijn Temmerman
Physical response of a back-barrier estuary to a post-tropical cyclone Physical response of a back-barrier estuary to a post-tropical cyclone
This paper presents a modeling investigation of the hydrodynamic and sediment transport response of Chincoteague Bay (VA/MD, USA) to Hurricane Sandy using the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment-Transport (COAWST) modeling system. Several simulation scenarios with different combinations of remote and local forces were conducted to identify the dominant physical processes. While 80% of...
Authors
Alexis Beudin, Neil Kamal Ganju, Zafer Defne, Alfredo Aretxabaleta
Sensitivity analysis of a coupled hydrodynamic-vegetation model using the effectively subsampled quadratures method Sensitivity analysis of a coupled hydrodynamic-vegetation model using the effectively subsampled quadratures method
Coastal hydrodynamics can be greatly affected by the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation. The effect of vegetation has been incorporated into the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) Modeling System. The vegetation implementation includes the plant-induced three-dimensional drag, in-canopy wave-induced streaming, and the production of turbulent kinetic energy by...
Authors
Tarandeep S. Kalra, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Pranay Seshadri, Neil K. Ganju, Alexis Beudin
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15 Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15
U.S. Geological Survey scientists and technical support staff measured oceanographic, waterquality, seabed-elevation-change, and meteorological parameters in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, during the period of August 13, 2014, to July 14, 2015, as part of the Estuarine Physical Response to Storms project (GS2–2D) supported by the Department of the Interior Hurricane Sandy...
Authors
Steven E. Suttles, Neil K. Ganju, Sandra M. Brosnahan, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Alexis Beudin, Daniel J. Nowacki, Marinna A. Martini
Non-USGS Publications**
Defne, Z., N. K. Ganju, and A. Aretxabaleta
(2016), Estimating time-dependent
connectivity in marine systems, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 43, doi:10.1002/2015GL066888.
(2016), Estimating time-dependent
connectivity in marine systems, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 43, doi:10.1002/2015GL066888.
Ganju, N. K., Brush, M. J., Rashleigh, B., Aretxabaleta, A. L., del Barrio, P., Grear, J. S., ... & Vaudrey, J. M., 2015, Progress and challenges in coupled hydrodynamic-ecological estuarine modeling, Estuaries and Coasts, 1-22.
Ganju, N.K., Jaffe, B.E., and Schoellhamer, D.H., 2011, Discontinuous hindcast simulations of estuarine bathymetric change: a case study from Suisun Bay, California. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 93, 142-150.
Ganju, N.K., and Schoellhamer, D.H., 2006, Annual sediment flux estimates in a tidal strait using surrogate measurements. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 69, 165-178.
Ganju, N.K., Schoellhamer, D.H., and Jaffe, B.E., 2009, Hindcasting of decadal-timescale estuarine bathymetric change with a tidal-timescale model. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 114, F04019, doi:10.1029/2008JF001191.
Ganju, N.K., Schoellhamer, D.H., Warner, J.C., Barad, M.F., and Schladow, S.G., 2004, Tidal oscillation of sediment between a river and a bay: a conceptual model. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 60(1), 81-90.
Ganju, N.K., and Sherwood, C.R., 2010, Effect of roughness formulation on the performance of a coupled wave, hydrodynamic, and sediment transport model. Ocean Modelling, 33, 299-313.
Gartner, J.W., and Ganju, N.K., 2007, Correcting acoustic Doppler current profiler discharge measurement bias from moving-bed conditions without global positioning during the 2004 Glen Canyon Dam controlled flood on the Colorado River. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 5, 156-162.
Leonardi, N., Ganju, N.K. and Fagherazzi, S., 2016. A linear relationship between wave power and erosion determines salt-marsh resilience to violent storms and hurricanes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(1), pp.64-68.
Kirincich, A. R., Lentz, S. J., Farrar, J. T., and Ganju, N. K., 2013, The Spatial Structure of Tidal and Mean Circulation over the Inner Shelf South of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 43(9).
Miselis, J.L., Andrews, B.D., Nicholson, R.S., Defne, Z., Ganju, N.K. and Navoy, A., 2015. Evolution of mid-Atlantic coastal and back-barrier estuary environments in response to a hurricane: Implications for barrier-estuary connectivity. Estuaries and Coasts, pp.1-19.
Oestreich, W. K., Ganju, N. K., Pohlman, J. W., and Suttles, S. E., 2016. Colored dissolved organic matter in shallow estuaries: relationships between carbon sources and light attenuation, Biogeosciences, 13, 583-595, doi:10.5194/bg-13-583-2016.
Rosencranz, J.A., Ganju, N.K., Ambrose, R.F., Brosnahan, S.M., Dickhudt, P.J., Guntenspergen, G.R., MacDonald, G.M., Takekawa, J.Y, and Thorne, K.M., 2015, Balanced sediment fluxes in southern California’s Mediterranean-climate zone salt marshes, Estuaries and Coasts, DOI 10.1007/s12237-015-0056-y.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Filter Total Items: 76
Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023) Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023)
Extended time-series sensor data were collected between 2012 and 2016 in surface water of a tidal salt-marsh creek on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The objective of this field study was to measure water chemical characteristics and flows, as part of a study to quantify lateral fluxes of dissolved carbon species between the salt marsh and estuary. Data consist of in-situ measurements including...
Aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights: Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), February 27th, 2018 Aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights: Plum Island Estuary and Parker River NWR (PIEPR), February 27th, 2018
Low-altitude (80 and 100 meters above ground level) digital images were taken over an area of the Plum Island Estuary and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts using 3DR Solo unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on February 27, 2018. These images were collected as part of an effort to document marsh stability over time and quantify sediment movement using UAS technology. Each...
COAWST Modeling System v3.4 COAWST Modeling System v3.4
Coupled ocean atmosphere wave sediment transport modeling system
Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts
Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio (UVVR) in the Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) salt marsh complex and approximal wetlands is computed based on conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2019). UVVR was calculated based on U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) 1-meter resolution imagery. Through scientific efforts initiated with the...
Mean tidal range in marsh units of Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts Mean tidal range in marsh units of Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts
Biomass production is positively correlated with mean tidal range in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of the United States of America. Recent studies support the idea that enhanced stability of the marshes can be attributed to increased vegetative growth due to increased tidal range. This dataset displays the spatial variation of mean tidal range (i.e. Mean Range of Tides, MN) in...
Elevation of marsh units in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts Elevation of marsh units in Cape Cod National Seashore salt marsh complex, Massachusetts
Elevation distribution in the Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) salt marsh complex and approximal wetlands is given in terms of mean elevation of conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2019). The elevation data is based on the 1-meter resolution Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED), where data gaps exist. Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy...
Filter Total Items: 121
Seagrass impact on sediment exchange between tidal flats and salt Marsh, and the sediment budget of shallow bays Seagrass impact on sediment exchange between tidal flats and salt Marsh, and the sediment budget of shallow bays
Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that strongly impact their physical and biological surroundings and are therefore frequently referred to as ecological engineers. The effect of seagrasses on coastal bay resilience and sediment transport dynamics is understudied. Here we use six historical maps of seagrass distribution in Barnegat Bay, USA, to investigate the role of these vegetated...
Authors
Carmine Donatelli, Neil Kamal Ganju, Sergio Fagherazzi, Nicoletta Leonardi
Storm impacts on hydrodynamics and suspended-sediment fluxes in a microtidal back-barrier estuary Storm impacts on hydrodynamics and suspended-sediment fluxes in a microtidal back-barrier estuary
Recent major storms have piqued interest in understanding the responses of estuarine hydrodynamics and sediment transport to these events. To that end, flow velocity, wave characteristics, and suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) were measured for 11 months at eight locations in Chincoteague Bay, MD/VA, USA, a shallow back-barrier estuary. Daily breezes and episodic storms generated...
Authors
Daniel J. Nowacki, Neil K. Ganju
Dynamic interactions between coastal storms and salt marshes: A review Dynamic interactions between coastal storms and salt marshes: A review
This manuscript reviews the progresses made in the understanding of the dynamic interactions between coastal storms and salt marshes, including the dissipation of extreme water levels and wind waves across marsh surfaces, the geomorphic impact of storms on salt marshes, the preservation of hurricanes signals and deposits into the sedimentary records, and the importance of storms for the...
Authors
Nicoletta Leonardi, Iacopo Carnacina, Carmine Donatelli, Neil K. Ganju, Andrew James Plater, Mark Schuerch, Stijn Temmerman
Physical response of a back-barrier estuary to a post-tropical cyclone Physical response of a back-barrier estuary to a post-tropical cyclone
This paper presents a modeling investigation of the hydrodynamic and sediment transport response of Chincoteague Bay (VA/MD, USA) to Hurricane Sandy using the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment-Transport (COAWST) modeling system. Several simulation scenarios with different combinations of remote and local forces were conducted to identify the dominant physical processes. While 80% of...
Authors
Alexis Beudin, Neil Kamal Ganju, Zafer Defne, Alfredo Aretxabaleta
Sensitivity analysis of a coupled hydrodynamic-vegetation model using the effectively subsampled quadratures method Sensitivity analysis of a coupled hydrodynamic-vegetation model using the effectively subsampled quadratures method
Coastal hydrodynamics can be greatly affected by the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation. The effect of vegetation has been incorporated into the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) Modeling System. The vegetation implementation includes the plant-induced three-dimensional drag, in-canopy wave-induced streaming, and the production of turbulent kinetic energy by...
Authors
Tarandeep S. Kalra, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Pranay Seshadri, Neil K. Ganju, Alexis Beudin
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15 Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15
U.S. Geological Survey scientists and technical support staff measured oceanographic, waterquality, seabed-elevation-change, and meteorological parameters in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, during the period of August 13, 2014, to July 14, 2015, as part of the Estuarine Physical Response to Storms project (GS2–2D) supported by the Department of the Interior Hurricane Sandy...
Authors
Steven E. Suttles, Neil K. Ganju, Sandra M. Brosnahan, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Alexis Beudin, Daniel J. Nowacki, Marinna A. Martini
Non-USGS Publications**
Defne, Z., N. K. Ganju, and A. Aretxabaleta
(2016), Estimating time-dependent
connectivity in marine systems, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 43, doi:10.1002/2015GL066888.
(2016), Estimating time-dependent
connectivity in marine systems, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 43, doi:10.1002/2015GL066888.
Ganju, N. K., Brush, M. J., Rashleigh, B., Aretxabaleta, A. L., del Barrio, P., Grear, J. S., ... & Vaudrey, J. M., 2015, Progress and challenges in coupled hydrodynamic-ecological estuarine modeling, Estuaries and Coasts, 1-22.
Ganju, N.K., Jaffe, B.E., and Schoellhamer, D.H., 2011, Discontinuous hindcast simulations of estuarine bathymetric change: a case study from Suisun Bay, California. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 93, 142-150.
Ganju, N.K., and Schoellhamer, D.H., 2006, Annual sediment flux estimates in a tidal strait using surrogate measurements. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 69, 165-178.
Ganju, N.K., Schoellhamer, D.H., and Jaffe, B.E., 2009, Hindcasting of decadal-timescale estuarine bathymetric change with a tidal-timescale model. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 114, F04019, doi:10.1029/2008JF001191.
Ganju, N.K., Schoellhamer, D.H., Warner, J.C., Barad, M.F., and Schladow, S.G., 2004, Tidal oscillation of sediment between a river and a bay: a conceptual model. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 60(1), 81-90.
Ganju, N.K., and Sherwood, C.R., 2010, Effect of roughness formulation on the performance of a coupled wave, hydrodynamic, and sediment transport model. Ocean Modelling, 33, 299-313.
Gartner, J.W., and Ganju, N.K., 2007, Correcting acoustic Doppler current profiler discharge measurement bias from moving-bed conditions without global positioning during the 2004 Glen Canyon Dam controlled flood on the Colorado River. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 5, 156-162.
Leonardi, N., Ganju, N.K. and Fagherazzi, S., 2016. A linear relationship between wave power and erosion determines salt-marsh resilience to violent storms and hurricanes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(1), pp.64-68.
Kirincich, A. R., Lentz, S. J., Farrar, J. T., and Ganju, N. K., 2013, The Spatial Structure of Tidal and Mean Circulation over the Inner Shelf South of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 43(9).
Miselis, J.L., Andrews, B.D., Nicholson, R.S., Defne, Z., Ganju, N.K. and Navoy, A., 2015. Evolution of mid-Atlantic coastal and back-barrier estuary environments in response to a hurricane: Implications for barrier-estuary connectivity. Estuaries and Coasts, pp.1-19.
Oestreich, W. K., Ganju, N. K., Pohlman, J. W., and Suttles, S. E., 2016. Colored dissolved organic matter in shallow estuaries: relationships between carbon sources and light attenuation, Biogeosciences, 13, 583-595, doi:10.5194/bg-13-583-2016.
Rosencranz, J.A., Ganju, N.K., Ambrose, R.F., Brosnahan, S.M., Dickhudt, P.J., Guntenspergen, G.R., MacDonald, G.M., Takekawa, J.Y, and Thorne, K.M., 2015, Balanced sediment fluxes in southern California’s Mediterranean-climate zone salt marshes, Estuaries and Coasts, DOI 10.1007/s12237-015-0056-y.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.