Current Research

My current research interests involve how the mangroves will “invade” north into the salt marshes of St. Augustine as a result of global warming and the associated sea level rise.
This will be accomplished through use of a gap model which will be run under varying temperature regimes and invasion scenarios.

My research is being funded by a graduate research fellowship offered by NOAA’s NERR (National Estuarine Research Reserve System). My research is focusing on the northern most extent of Florida’s mangroves (red: Rhizophora mangle, black: Avicennia germinans, and white: Laguncularia racemosa). The northernmost white and black are located with the GTM (Guana Tolomato Matanzas) NERR. The northernmost red is located in Volusia County. I am also interested what affect the exotic and invasive Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) will have on these northernmost mangroves if the pepper invades further north.