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MEDIA ADVISORY ESA Announces Hurricane Katrina Rapid Response Team One of the worst natural disasters in modern American history, Hurricane Katrina has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and severely affected communities throughout the US Gulf Coast. In addition to the human toll, the aftermath of Katrina will have major impacts on the environment and ecological systems in the region for years to come. Ecological systems in turn will play a significant role in the region's recovery, and ecological knowledge must inform better, more sustainable redesign. “The Mississippi Delta and Gulf of Mexico contain a great diversity of life and important ecological systems that provide services underpinning people's livelihoods in the region and, indeed, the nation. It is imperative for decisions to be made that include environmental impacts, from fisheries to urban neighborhoods to coastal marshes, and that make preservation of ecosystem services—from efficient cycling of nutrients, to provision of seafood, to the amelioration of flooding provided by wetlands—as high a priority as this tragedy shows us it should be,” says ESA President Nancy Grimm. The Ecological Society of America has put together a Katrina Rapid Response Team, a group of ecological experts, available to address issues related to the aftermath of the hurricane: Disturbance ecology / anthropogenic effects: Dr. Alan Covich, Director, Institute of Ecology (University of Georgia), studies the impacts of disturbances, including the environmental aftermath of hurricanes. He is currently studying the affects of urban growth and road networks on river networks. Dr. Covich can be reached at (706) 542-6006 , or email: alanc@uga.edu Dr. Robert Howarth's (Cornell University) research interests include how wetlands interact with coastal waters, the ecological effects of oil spills, environmental management and nutrient pollution, nutrient cycles in both lakes and coastal marine ecosystems, and human alteration of biogeochemical cycles (nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur). Dr. Howarth can be reached at (607) 255-6175 , or email: rwh2@cornell.edu Wetlands / coastal ecology: Dr. Ronald Kneib (University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island) studies population and community dynamics of estuarine fishes and invertebrates, application of field experiments to address ecology problems in estuarine environments, and landscape structure and functional ecology of tidal wetlands. Dr. Kneib can be reached at (912) 485-2297, or email: rtkneib@uga.edu Dr. Robert Twilley (Louisiana State University Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute) has spent nearly 20 years studying coastal Louisiana ecosystems, including framing the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration program (www.clear.lsu.edu). His research has focused on systems ecology and biogeochemistry of coastal wetlands, including the Gulf of Mexico . Dr. Twilley can be reached at (225) 578-8806 , or email: rtwilley@lsu.edu Urban ecology: Dr. Richard Pouyat (Baltimore Ecosystem Study) studies the influences of urbanization on ecosystem structure and function; classification, mapping, and interpretation of anthropogenic soils; integration of ecological, soil, and social sciences; and the integration of science and public policy. Dr. Pouyat can be reached at (410) 455-8014 , or email: rich_pouyat@umbc.edu |
The Ecological Society of America is the world's largest professional organization of ecologists, representing 10,000 scientists in the United States and around the globe. Since its founding in 1915, ESA has promoted the responsible application of ecological principles to the solution of environmental problems through ESA reports, journals, research, and expert testimony to Congress. For more information about the Society and its activities, visit the ESA website at www.esa.org. |
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