LSU College of the Coast & Environment to Showcase Cutting-Edge Research at AGU Annual Meeting

NEW ORLEANS - The LSU College of the Coast & Environment (CC&E) continues to be a leader in advancing our understanding of the natural world, with a particular focus on coastal regions. Next week, CC&E will play a prominent role at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, the world’s largest annual gathering of Earth and space scientists. The event brings together more than 25,000 researchers, fostering groundbreaking scientific discovery, collaboration, and networking.

This year, 92 CC&E faculty, researchers, postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students will present their work through oral and poster sessions. Remarkably, CC&E accounts for more than one-third of all LSU research showcased at this five-day event.

Each presentation highlights innovative findings and new discoveries, contributing valuable insights for a healthier, more sustainable environment. CC&E’s significant presence at AGU underscores LSU’s commitment to research excellence and its role in addressing global environmental challenges.

See a full program of LSU presenters

Learn more about LSU's presence at the AGU Meeting 

 

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CC&E is proud to showcase some of our students who will be presenting research at AGU.

DOCS Masters student Nico Lonergan works in the Wetland Aquatic Biogeochemical Laboratory, which is run by Professor John White. His conference presentation highlights CC&E's contributions to coastal restoration. "By combining remote sensing with CRMS salinity data, I’m comparing how drought and storm surge intensify saltwater intrusion across Louisiana’s wetlands and how that stress shows up in vegetation patterns. These insights can help coastal managers better predict when and where marsh loss may accelerate, allowing restoration projects to be timed and targeted more effectively. As climate-driven drought becomes more common, this kind of early-warning approach will be essential for protecting vulnerable coastal ecosystems," he said.

Fellow Masters student M. Farid Geonova works with DOCS Professor Z. George Xue in Xue's Coupled Ocean Modeling Group. He will be presenting research related to the group's coupled model. "This multiscale dynamic coupled Ocean-Wave-Hydrology modeling helps coastal communities by giving us better understanding of how hurricanes affect water level, waves, and cause compound flooding especially in the wetland region of Louisiana. We can test how hurricanes change wave heights offshore and how that energy translates into water level setup, currents, and inundation in specific bays, passes, and navigation channels. We can see where water will pile up, which levees, roads, or communities are most exposed to wave-driven overtopping or prolonged high water. In short, this type of modeling can provide earlier and more reliable warnings, identify which communities are most at risk caused by hurricane induced waves, and help planners and engineers design more resilient coastal systems," he said.

Environmental Sciences PhD candidate Israt J Tama researches community resiliency with Associate Professor Rebeca de Jesus Crespo. She will be presenting on flooding impacts. "Flood impacts to property owners show up shortly after an event as a drop in home sales prices—studying these patterns helps communities plan smarter and protect local economies,” she said.