GIRAF Projects Selected

The second cohort of Graduate Interjurisdictional Research Fellowship (GIRAF) projects have been awarded.

GIRAF is a joint effort of Louisiana Sea Grant and Louisiana Space Grant, along with the North Carolina Sea and Space Grant Programs. The transregional aspect of GIRAF is to promote a greater understanding of the issues researched and create professional development opportunities for the funded graduate students. Fellowship recipients use data from a variety of archives and the remote sensing capabilities available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to address high priority needs within both Louisiana’s and North Carolina’s nearshore environments. Each fellow is awarded $10,000 for a one-year research project.

Louisiana projects funded for the 2025 cycle are:

Multidimensional Approach to Remote Species Classification and Vegetative Health Monitoring to Inform Louisiana Forested Wetland Management

Fellow: Grant Wallace Erbelding, Master of Science student, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM)

Advisor: Joydeep Bhattacharjee, professor of biology, ULM

Bottomland hardwood forests (BHF) are a defining ecosystem throughout Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. They serve as critical habitat for migratory birds and play a pivotal role in carbon sequestration and nutrient filtration. However, deforestation driven by agriculture, logging and unwise management has fragmented the remaining 25 percent of historical Louisiana hardwoods, making them vulnerable. The loss of these forests would have detrimental effects on downstream riverine systems and coastal ecosystems. The objectives of this project are to identify and characterize vegetation stress in BHF canopy-contributing tree species using in-situ sampling, drone imagery and satellite data; and apply remote sensing techniques and analyses to address  management needs related to BHF protection and conservation.

From Above and Below: Assessing Impacts of Droughts and Storm Surges on Coastal Wetland Health

Fellow: Nicholas Lonergan, Master of Science student, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science, Louisiana State University (LSU)

Advisor: John White, professor of oceanography and coastal science, LSU

Coastal wetland vegetation serves as a haven for wildlife, safeguards against storm surges and contributes to carbon sequestration. It also plays a pivotal role in stabilizing shorelines and mitigating erosion. A reliable indicator of wetland health lies in the color of the leaves — how green or brown. Deviations from normal seasonal color changes often signify environmental stress, commonly attributed to hurricane storm surges or droughts that elevate wetland salinity. Utilizing historical satellite and environmental data, researchers will assess whether salinity spikes, originating from hurricanes or droughts, exert comparable impacts on wetland vegetation and erosion rates. Given that drought-induced salinity spikes have distinct chemical soil conditions compared to a salinity spike from hurricane storm surge, researchers hypothesize that the impact on vegetation will be different. Understanding these dynamics will help coastal managers mitigate their impact by timing surface water flows to protect the coastal marshes.

For more information about GIRAF, visit https://laspace.lsu.edu/giraf/.