NE CASC is pleased to share our 2020 Annual Report, which documents many of our accomplishments over the past year by summarizing our recent research, outreach, and educational activities.
A new study by NE CASC researchers Brian Yellen and Jon Woodruff reveals that man-made dams built in the Lower Hudson watershed do not trap as much sediment from riverways as previously believed. These findings are particularly important for the many Hudson River communities seeking to remove existing man-made dams that are no longer needed for industrial use and may negatively impact wetlands or interfere with local river restoration efforts.
The Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center is pleased to announce a call for Statements of Interest regarding Fiscal Year 2022 Research Awards. A maximum of $1.25 million is available for the Northeast region, and NE CASC intends to fund as many as 6-10 projects through the FY22 RFP.
NE CASC University Director Richard Palmer has organized a Spring Environmental & Water Resources Engineering webinar Series for Spring Semester 2021. All members of the NE CASC community are enthusiastically invited to participate!
NE CASC is seeking to fill an opening for Deputy Federal Director via a detail opportunity available to federal employees and employees of eligible organizations under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. The Deputy Director is responsible for helping develop the NE CASC strategic science agenda and managing all aspects of NE CASC's strategic operations, among other duties.
A new spring course hosted by the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC) will highlight Tribal speakers to discuss climate adaptation science. The course, Geology 497K: Indigenous Knowledge on Climate Adaptation Science, will be held virtually on Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:15 PM and is open to undergraduate and graduate students within the Five College Consortium.
A new study led by NE CASC researcher Brian Yellen shows that Hudson River Estuary marshes are growing significantly faster than current sea level rise, suggesting that they should be resilient to accelerated sea level rise in the future. Concluding that tidal marshes can be developed relatively easily and quickly, this work provides a framework for guiding land conservation strategies.
160 members of the NE CASC community recently participated in our “Biological Thresholds in the Context of Climate Change” workshop. Designed to identify management priorities in addressing the potential climate change-induced crossing of biological thresholds, the workshop attracted staff from 50 federal or state agencies.
NE CASC is pleased to announce the lineup for our Spring 2021 Webinar Series. Please mark your calendar to ensure that you don't miss any of these exciting talks!
While black ash wetlands are prevalent in the Great Lakes region, their future is threatened due to impending spread of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) and its potential to cause ecohydrologic shifts to wetter, non-forested conditions. In a new article published by Hydrological Processes, NE CASC PI Anthony D'Amato and his collaborators identify the factors determining vulnerability to such shifts and provide a potential tool to target relevant areas for active management efforts.
The fourth annual RISCC Management Symposium will be held virtually via Zoom on January 20th and 21st, 2021, from 12:30-5pm ET. Please join RISCC for these two half days of presentations and discussion to share perspectives on climate change and invasive species management.
NE CASC recently concluded a highly successful Fall Webinar Series, which witnessed a record number of participants log on to hear four outstanding presentations from Hilary Dugan, Jordan Read, Beth Larry, and Peter McIntyre & Rob Mooney. If you missed these talks the first time around, now is a great time to catch up!
A recent article authored by NE CASC Deputy Federal Director Olivia LeDee and her collaborators finds that management recommendations for helping wildlife adapt to climate change tend to focus on broad-scale approaches, such as establishing protected areas, rather than on tactics that can be applied at local or regional scales by on-the-ground resource managers. Consequently, while scientists often make recommendations for minimizing the effects of climate change on wildlife, it is unclear how well these suggestions fit the needs of modern wildlife managers.
NE CASC is delighted to announce that the U.S. Geological Survey has appointed Dr. Katherine Smith as the center’s Federal Director. In this capacity, Smith will play a major role in advancing the mission of the center by helping articulate its vision, formulate its long-term strategic plan, and enhance collaboration with its expansive network of partners.
Massachusetts has witnessed numerous major floods and droughts over the past several decades. But what will the future hold for the state in terms of these hydrological extremes? A team including NE CASC researchers Ridwan Siddique, Ambarish Karmalkar, and Richard Palmer answers this question in their new article published in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.
A combination of factors--including climate change, overfishing, and the rise of imported seafood--have pressed the New England fishing industry into a vulnerable state. But the research of NE CASC fellow Amanda Davis suggests the industry may have cause for optimism. Her work concludes that abundant but relatively unfamiliar species could hold the key to reinvigorating regional fisheries.
A team led by Adrian Jordaan, Daniel Pendleton, Chris Sutherland and Michelle Staudinger has completed its final report for the project, "How and why is the timing and occurrence of seasonal migrants in the Gulf of Maine changing due to climate?" This study sought to advance understanding of the responses of large migratory whales and other marine wildlife to climate change by examining species-specific shifts in timing of migration and habitat use.
NE CASC PI Anthony D'Amato has coauthored an article in Forest Ecology and Management exploring the impacts of climate change, disturbance, and varying forest adaptation strategies on future forest structure and composition in the landscapes surrounding Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park.
A team led by NE CASC principal investigators Thomas Bonnot and Frank Thompson has conducted the first comprehensive study seeking to analyze a massive, 26-year dataset generated by the Migrant and Landbird Conservation Strategy monitoring program of the USDA Forest Service's Sourthern Region. Its results, which have been assembled in a new report, will help inform conservation and management efforts across the South.
Acting on our commitment to help dismantle environmental racism and pursue a more just society, NE CASC recently appointed three graduate assistants who will lead projects designed to advance the Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
NE CASC Tribal Climate Science Liaison Casey Thornbrugh recently received a 2020 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award. This marks the second consecutive year that an NE CASC representative has claimed this prestigious honor.
Extirpated from Missouri's Ozark Highlands more than a century ago, the brown-headed nuthatch is now poised for a comeback in this area thanks in part to the work of NE CASC principal investigators Thomas Bonnot and Frank Thompson. Their project will help restore the native ecosystem and evaluate a conservation technique known as assisted migration.
NE CASC Research Ecologist Toni Lyn Morelli and colleagues from the Refugia Research Coalition organized a session on "Innovative Approaches for Identifying and Managing Climate Change Refugia" at the recently held 2020 North American Congress for Conservation Biology Symposium. Presentations for the session were recorded and are available for viewing.
NE CASC researchers Bethany Bradley and Toni Lyn Morelli organized a session at the recent Ecological Society of America annual meeting to help members of the invasive species community better understand the paradigm of Translational Invasion Ecology. Session talks were recorded and are ready for viewing!