Nicholas M Enwright, Ph.D.
Biography
Nicholas Enwright has been a geographer at U.S. Geological Survey's Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana since 2013. He received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2019. Nicholas uses applied coastal geography research to understand how the spatial distribution and patterns of environments, such as barrier islands and coastal wetlands, are changing through time. His research program aims to further science related to natural resource assessments, restoration planning, and monitoring by: (1) developing new data using remote sensing techniques; (2) advancing methodologies for geospatial studies; (3) analyzing spatial data using geographic information science (GIS); and (4) forecasting potential future landscapes using geocomputational modeling. Currently, Nicholas' research team is working on projects that span the Gulf of Mexico and is starting a new project in northeast Florida.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., 2019, Louisiana State University, Major: Geography and Anthropology; research emphasis: barrier island habitat mapping and modeling
- M.S. 2010, University of North Texas, Major: Applied Geography; research emphasis: geospatial analysis of wetlands
- B.S. 2007, University of North Texas, Major: Geography
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 2013 to present
- Geographic Information Specialist II, Five Rivers Services/IAP Worldwide Services, contracted to support the U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Resarch Center Lafayette, LA, 2010 to 2013
AWARDS
- Special Thanks for Achieving Results Award from the U.S. Geological Survey (2020, 2016)
- Best student paper presentation at the Louisiana Professional Biologists symposium, Lake Charles, Louisiana (2018)
- Outstanding Service Award from the University of North Texas (2007, 2010)
- 2nd Place in a student paper competition at Society of Wetland Scientists South Central Chapter, Denton, Texas (2009)
- Outstanding Geography Graduate Student from the University of North Texas (2009)
- Toulouse Graduate School College of Arts and Sciences Master’s Fellowship from the University of North Texas (2008)
- 2nd Place in a student map competition at North Central Texas GIS Day (2008)
- J.L. Bean Scholarship from the University of North Texas (2006)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Spatial analysis
- Remote sensing
- Natural resource and restoration monitoring
- Machine learning
PUBLICATIONS
- See below and Google Scholar for a list of publications.
Science and Products
Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Using ecological and geographical data, WARC researchers and their partners are analyzing avian and benthic sampling on Whiskey Island and Caminda Headland to compare pre- and post-restoration aspects of habitat occupancy, habitat availability, habitat use, and kernal density estimation.
Mapping High Marsh along the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast
USGS is collaborating with Mississippi State University to investigate the effects of fire on Gulf of Mexico marshes. The project will include mapping high marsh and monitoring black rail, yellow rail, and mottled duck responses to prescribed fire application.
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Monitoring and Assessment Program Development
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and USGS will jointly lead the development of foundational components for Gulf region-wide monitoring.
Geospatially Enabled, Web-based Habitat Reporting Tool to Support Monitoring and Assessment along the Louisiana Shore
The State of Louisiana's Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program has partnered with USGS to developed two habitat classifications schemes for monitoring barrier island habitats and habitats in beach-dune systems along the mainland. These schemes builds upon previous BICM habitat mapping efforts.
Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP)
In 2009, the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District in conjunction with other Federal and State agencies, to help reduce future storm damage along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Comprehensive Plan for MsCIP includes restoring the Mississippi barrier islands and over 3,000 acres of wetland and coastal forest...
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment
This project is a collaborative effort between the USGS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the State of Alabama funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to investigate viable, sustainable restoration options that protect and restore the natural resources of Dauphin Island, Alabama. The project is focused on restoration options that protect and restore habitat and living...
Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM)
The goal of the State of Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program is to provide long-term data on the barrier islands of Louisiana that could be used to plan, design, evaluate, and maintain current and future barrier-island restoration projects.
USGS Technical Support for Coastal/Wetlands Ecology: Spatial Analysis and Application for the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCP LCC)
The Gulf Coastal Prairie (GCP) includes areas within Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as Mexico. The GCP Landscape Conservation Cooperative aims to conserve prairie grasslands which helps migratory birds and other wildlife that rely on these ecosystems.
Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Support: Gulf Coast Joint Venture
The Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) was established in 1988 as a result of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, which espouses the restoration of continental waterfowl populations through conservation partnerships in priority habitat regions. Since that time GCJV partners have expanded their mission and purpose to include the provision of habitat to support other priority bird species...
Louisiana Barrier Island Habitat Mapping and Change Assessment
Barrier islands provide numerous invaluable ecosystem goods and services including storm protection and erosion control for the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, salinity regulation in estuaries, carbon sequestration in marshes, recreation, and tourism. These islands are dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Storms, wave energy, tides, currents, and...
Hurricane Sandy Surge and Marsh Dieback in the New Jersey Coastal Zone
Detection of storm surge impacts on coastal marshes requires regional or broader mapping of surge flooding above and below the wetland canopy and estimation of abnormal change in wetland condition.
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment at Dauphin Island
Dauphin Island, Alabama, is the only barrier island providing protection to much of Alabama's coastal natural resources. Severely impacted by repeated extreme events, like Hurricane Katrina and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, USGS and partners are conducting a joint study to evaluate the feasibility of certain alternatives to increase resiliency and sustainability of the island.
Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program: Mapping habitats in beach, dune, and intertidal environments along the Louisiana Gulf of Mexico shoreline, 2008 and 2015–16
Barrier islands, headlands, and coastal shorelines provide numerous valuable ecosystem goods and services, including storm protection and erosion control for the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, salinity regulation in estuaries, carbon sequestration in marshes, and areas for recreation and tourism. These coastal features are dynamic...
Enwright, Nicholas M.; SooHoo, William M.; Dugas, Jason L.; Conzelmann, Craig P.; Laurenzano, Claudia; Lee, Darin M.; Mouton, Kelly; Stelly, Spencer J.
Predicting barrier island habitats and oyster and seagrass habitat suitability for various restoration measures and future conditions for Dauphin Island, Alabama
Barrier islands, such as Dauphin Island, Alabama, provide numerous invaluable ecosystem services including storm damage reduction and erosion control to the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, carbon sequestration in marshes, water catchment and purification, recreation, and tourism. These islands are dynamic environments that are gradually...
Enwright, Nicholas M.; Wang, Hongqing; Dalyander, P. Soupy; Elizabeth Godsey
Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP): Inventory of existing water quality and habitat monitoring, and mapping metadata for Gulf of Mexico Programs
Under the Council-Selected Restoration Component of the RESTORE Act, the Council develops Funded Priority Lists (FPLs) that describe the projects and programs it will fund. Projects and programs funded through this component must be in furtherance of the goals and objectives of the Council’s Comprehensive Plan and address at least one of the...
Meyers, Michelle; Bosch, Julie; Burkart, Heidi; Clement, Chris; Enwright, Nicholas; Giordano, Steve; Jeffery, Chris; Hart, Rheannon; Hile, Sarah; Howell, Jacob; Lee, Michael; Laurenzano, Claudia ; McCloskey, Terrance; Mize, Scott; Monaco, Mark E.; Owen, Kevin; Rebich, Richard; Sample, Thomas; Steyer, Gregory D.; Suir, Kevin J.; Smith, Christopher G.; Watson, Katie; Bosch, Julie; Burkart, Heidi; Chivoiu, Bogdan; Clark, Randy; Clement, Chris; Enwright, Nicholas; Giordano, Steve; Jeffrey, Chris; Johnson, Edward; Hart, Rheannon M.; Hile, Sarah; Howell, Jacob; Laurenzano, Claudia ; Lee, Michael T.; McCloskey, Terrence A.; McTigue, Terry; Meyers, Michelle B.; Mize, Scott; Monaco, Mark E.; Owen, Kevin; Rebich, Richard A.; Rendon, Samuel H.; Robertson, Ali; Sample, Thomas; Steyer, Gregory D.; Suir, Kevin J.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Watson, Katie Modeling barrier island habitats using landscape position information
Barrier islands are dynamic environments because of their position along the marine–estuarine interface. Geomorphology influences habitat distribution on barrier islands by regulating exposure to harsh abiotic conditions. Researchers have identified linkages between habitat and landscape position, such as elevation and distance from shore, yet...
Enwright, Nicholas; Lei Wang; Wang, Hongqing; Osland, Michael; Feher, Laura; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard Advancing barrier island habitat mapping using landscape position information
Barrier islands are dynamic ecosystems that change gradually from coastal processes, including currents and tides, and rapidly from episodic events, such as storms. These islands provide many important ecosystem services, including storm protection and erosion control to the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, and tourism. Habitat maps,...
Enwright, Nicholas; Wang, Lei; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard; Feher, Laura; Osland, Michael Landscape conservation design for enhancing the adaptive capacity of coastal wetlands in the face of sea-level rise and coastal development
Coastal wetlands provide many valuable benefits to people and wildlife, including critical habitat, improved water quality, reduced flooding impacts, and protected coastlines. However, in the 21st century, accelerated sea-level rise and coastal development are expected to greatly alter coastal landscapes across the globe. The future of coastal...
Osland, Michael J.; Borchert, Sinead; Enwright, Nicholas Climate and plant controls on soil organic matter in coastal wetlands
Coastal wetlands are among the most productive and carbon‐rich ecosystems on Earth. Long‐term carbon storage in coastal wetlands occurs primarily belowground as soil organic matter (SOM). In addition to serving as a carbon sink, SOM influences wetland ecosystem structure, function, and stability. To anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate...
Osland, Michael J.; Gabler, Christopher A.; Grace, James B.; Day, Richard H.; McCoy, Meagan L.; McLeod, Jennie L.; From, Andrew S.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Feher, Laura C.; Stagg, Camille L.; Hartley, Stephen B. Coastal wetland adaptation to sea level rise: Quantifying potential for landward migration and coastal squeeze
Coastal wetland ecosystems are expected to migrate landwards in response to rising seas. However, due to differences in topography and coastal urbanization, estuaries vary in their ability to accommodate migration. Low‐lying urban areas can constrain migration and lead to wetland loss (i.e. coastal squeeze), especially where existing wetlands...
Borchert, Sinéad M.; Osland, Michael J.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Griffith, Kereen The impact of lidar elevation uncertainty on mapping intertidal habitats on barrier islands
While airborne lidar data have revolutionized the spatial resolution that elevations can be realized, data limitations are often magnified in coastal settings. Researchers have found that airborne lidar can have a vertical error as high as 60 cm in densely vegetated intertidal areas. The uncertainty of digital elevation models is often left...
Enwright, Nicholas M.; Wang, Lei; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard H.; Feher, Laura C.; Osland, Michael J. Linear and nonlinear effects of temperature and precipitation on ecosystem properties in tidal saline wetlands
Climate greatly influences the structure and functioning of tidal saline wetland ecosystems. However, there is a need to better quantify the effects of climatic drivers on ecosystem properties, particularly near climate-sensitive ecological transition zones. Here, we used climate- and literature-derived ecological data from tidal saline wetlands...
Feher, Laura C.; Osland, Michael J.; Griffith, Kereen T.; Grace, James B.; Howard, Rebecca J.; Stagg, Camille L.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Krauss, Ken W.; Gabler, Christopher A.; Day, Richard H.; Rogers, Kerrylee Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: Gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network
Coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise are greatly influenced by biogeomorphic processes that affect wetland surface elevation. Small changes in elevation relative to sea level can lead to comparatively large changes in ecosystem structure, function, and stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) approach is being used...
Osland, Michael J.; Griffith, Kereen T.; Larriviere, Jack C.; Feher, Laura C.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Oster, David A.; Tirpak, John M.; Woodrey, Mark S.; Collini, Renee C.; Baustian, Joseph J.; Breithaupt, Joshua L.; Cherry, Julia A; Conrad, Jeremy R.; Cormier, Nicole; Coronado-Molina, Carlos A.; Donoghue, Joseph F.; Graham, Sean A.; Harper, Jennifer W.; Hester, Mark W.; Howard, Rebecca J.; Krauss, Ken W.; Kroes, Daniel; Lane, Robert R.; McKee, Karen L.; Mendelssohn, Irving A.; Middleton, Beth A.; Moon, Jena A.; Piazza, Sarai; Rankin, Nicole M.; Sklar, Fred H.; Steyer, Gregory D.; Swanson, Kathleen M.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Vervaeke, William; Willis, Jonathan M; Van Wilson, K.
Barrier island habitat map and vegetation survey—Dauphin Island, Alabama, 2015
Barrier islands are dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Storms, waves, tides, currents, and relative sea-level rise are powerful forces that shape barrier island geomorphology and habitats (for example, beach, dune, marsh, and forest). Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010 are two...
Enwright, Nicholas M.; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard H.; Feher, Laura C.; Osland, Michael J.; Wang, Lei; Wang, Hongqing
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment Project public presentation
Scientists from the St. Petersburg Coastal Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center copresent the Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment on the DOI Internal Gulf Restoration weekly meeting.
Rising Sea Levels, Coastal Development’s Effect on Gulf Coast Wetlands
As coastal development along the Gulf Coast continues to expand, tidal saline wetlands could have difficulty adjusting to rising sea levels.