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Upcoming seminar: Modeling Coral Reef Restoration to Reduce Coastal Hazards from Scales of Kilometers to Centimeters
Mark your calendars for an upcoming seminar with USGS scientist Dr. Curt Storlazzi on November 4th, 2022! Seminar title: Modeling Coral Reef Restoration to Reduce Coastal Hazards from Scales of Kilometers to Centimeters Talk abstract: Coral reefs are effective natural barriers that protect adjacent coastal communities from hazards such as erosion and storm-induced flooding. However, […]
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Rain gardens created to mitigate flooding
Georgia’s coastal communities are getting help from UGA’s Marine Extension Brunswick, Ga. – The highest property in the Urbana-Perry Park neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia, sits just 10 feet above sea level. Homeowners William and Bonnie Kitts have lived there for nine years. “This is actually my wife’s father’s grandfather’s home that he grew up in,” William […]
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Freshwater reservoir emissions: research feature with Laura Naslund
Photo and story by Olivia Allen In a recent feature on the River Basin Center website, writer Olivia Allen featured Laura Naslund’s work on freshwater reservoir emissions. By 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, Laura Naslund had already spent over an hour in a canoe on a little pond on the east side of Athens, […]
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We’re looking for a science communications intern!
Join the IRIS team as we work toward more resilient communities and ecosystems through the use of natural infrastructure. We are seeking an enthusiastic, motivated student worker with an interest in science communications to join the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) team. IRIS is an interdisciplinary group of researchers from over 12 university units […]
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IRIS Researchers featured in Savannah Morning News as they work to ensure (and insure) a future for Georgia marshes
IRIS research conducted by Dr. Matt Bilskie and Dr. Yukiko Hashida was recently featured in the Savannah Morning News for their partnership with the Nature Conservancy. Their work is centered on insuring marshes for their environmental benefits. As Dr. Hashida is quoted as saying in the article, “The insurance industry, by definition, is long-term (planning) […]
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IRIS Researcher Matt Bilskie explains why the scale of a natural infrastructure scale matters
We know that natural infrastructure features like marshes, dunes, and natural floodplains can help reduce flooding in communities, but what scale is required to have the biggest impact? Researcher Dr. Matt Bilskie discusses in our first video!
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The impacts of bioretention areas at the watershed scale: new paper published in the Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment
High flows of stormwater can have dramatic impacts on urban and suburban areas, degrading stream health by causing erosion and impacting aquatic critters’ ability to live there. Increases in pavement and other impermeable surfaces also contribute to flash floods. Bioretention areas, which are related to the more commonly known “rain garden,” are patches of vegetated […]
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IRIS Researchers Team Up with The Nature Conservancy to protect Georgia’s coast
Story by Stacia Pelletier | Contact: Matt Bilskie New interdisciplinary pilot program explores funding salt marsh preservation and recovery How much is a salt marsh worth? That’s one of the questions the University of Georgia and The Nature Conservancy will try to answer as they launch a pilot study funded by Georgia Sea Grant to determine the socioeconomic value of salt marsh ecosystems in […]
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Special Session Invitation: 2022 American Geophysical Union
The 2022 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall meeting is being held December 12-16 in Chicago, IL. My colleagues and I are hosting a session (161288) in the Natural Hazards section titled “Implementation Natural- and Nature-based Features: The Nexus of Flood Protection & Biodiversity. Session Summary We invite presentations of current research, engineering development, and implementation of […]
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New flood maps clarify the risk homeowners face
Flooding in urban areas cost Americans more than $106 billion between 1960 and 2016, damaging property, disrupting businesses and claiming lives in the process. Determining which areas are most likely to flood amid ever-changing land use and shifting rainfall and climate patterns can be expensive and complicated – and past methods of drawing flood maps fail […]
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Congrats to Sheppard Medlin for his thesis defense on June 23rd!
Graduate student Sheppard Medlin recently defended his thesis on Simulating the Effects of Barrier Island Scale on Storm Surge Attenuation. Medlin grew up in coastal North Carolina, where he developed a deep appreciation for the ocean and all the coastal communities that depend on it. Abstract: Nature Based Infrastructure (NBI) is an increasingly popular flood […]
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Upcoming Thesis Defense: Brian Landers
Join us this Thursday for IRIS graduate student Brian Landers’ thesis defense, where he will present his research, “Modeling Regional Surface and Groundwater Hydrology near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.” Abstract: The Southeastern Coastal Plain physiographic region of Georgia is a unique hydrologic system that is cherished for the recreational opportunities, resources, and ecosystem services […]
