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April 2026 Newsletter

April 16, 2026
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Southeast CASC News

Register for our May science seminar on Assessing patterns of subterranean biodiversity and microclimates to inform cave management and conservation with Skylar Hopkins on May 20 at 1pm ET.

2025-26 Global Change Research Fellow, Andrew Balder, is the lead author on an article in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science on Environmental thresholds and forest vegetation across a tidal gradient of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, USA.

Catch up on our latest researcher spotlights featuring 2025-26 Global Change Research Fellows Brennan Kurosad, Graham Louis, and Daniel Rhodes.

Asmit Neupane, 2025-26 Global Change Research Fellow, earned the Outstanding Student Poster award at the Central Hardwood Conference for his research on bottomland red oaks.

2024-25 Global Change Research Fellow, Christopher Oates, received 2nd place in the Environmental Sciences category at NC State’s Graduate Student Research Symposium for his work on nutrient monitoring in U.S. surface waters.

Bigyapti Nepal, 2024-25 Global Change Research Fellow, received 2nd place at the Water Resources Research Institute Annual Conference for her work using remote sensing to detect cyanobacteria in North Carolina.

2022-23 Global Change Research Fellow, Christina Perella, talks about how to improve collaboration between scientists and Tribal Nations.

Brett Scheffers is a co-author on a new PNAS article on how Species range shifts often speed ahead of their modeled climatic niches.

Read the recap of the Florida Water & Climate Alliance workshop on Integrating water resource management and ecosystem science for climate adaptation in Florida.

Community News from the Southeast

NOAA is hosting a series of 2026 Hurricane Awareness Webinars.

Conservation Corridor breaks down a practical framework for climate-informed landscape planning.

The Native American Fish and Wildlife Society has released the inaugural issue of their journal From the Field – Elevating Indigenous Voices.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Museum of Cherokee People has unveiled a new exhibit featuring Cherokee perspective on the American Revolution.

The Lumbee Tribe has voted to join USET.

Visit USET Climate Change Headlines for highlights from across the USET region

Gatherings

Webinars

Events

Find more events on our calendar.

Resources and Publications

Resources

  • Hubs and corridors layers in the Southeast Conservation Blueprint. The SECAS Southeast Conservation 2025 Blueprint has a map of hubs and corridors in the region that covers 15 states and 2 U.S. Caribbean territories. The Southeast Blueprint uses a least-cost path connectivity analysis to identify connections between priority areas. A program called Linkage Mapper defines corridors that link hubs across the shortest distance possible, while also routing through as much Blueprint priority as possible.

Publications

Biodiversity and soil type modulate the effect of plastic contamination on soil functioning. Journal of Applied Ecology

In this article, the authors conducted an experiment on clayey and sandy soil to understand how plastic contamination and plant biodiversity influenced an overall multifunctionality index. They found that clayey soils were more negatively impacted by conventional plastics, and that plant diversity helped to mitigate these impacts better in sandy soils. They argue that ecological restoration strategies in urban environments should take different approaches depending on soil type to counteract the contamination impacts of plastic.

Reefense: Living shoreline mosaics can achieve ecological and engineering outcomes with interdisciplinary design. PNAS

In this article, the authors outline the resilience of oyster reefs as living shorelines as an alternative to conventional engineered structures. They argue that innovative reef-based coastal protection (“Reefense”) solutions could be scaled to face coastal challenges effectively while also offering other ecosystem services.

Extreme events and river biodiversity under climate change. Nature Reviews Biodiversity

In this article, the authors synthesized global data on the impact of  extreme climatic events (ECE) on riverine biodiversity. They found wide-reaching impacts such as eroding genetic diversity, and altering community composition. They also found that the compound impacts of co-occurring ECEs and other global stressors on biodiversity were poorly understood in the research. They argue that future research needs to prioritize long-term monitoring and deconstructing the impacts of compound events, and that management strategies should shift the scale and reactivity of their approaches to be more resilient.

Opportunities

Student Announcements

NOAA Sea Grant is accepting applications for the Knauss Fellowship Program. Apply by June 3.

Field Inclusive, Inc. is offering a travel award to support a student or postdoc attending a scientific conference, training, or workshop in Fall 2026. Apply by Aug 1.

North Carolina Sea Grant is seeking a coastal tourism intern. Open until filled.

The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello is seeking applicants for a PhD Graduate Assistantship in Geospatial Artificial Intelligence and Forest Health. Open until filled.

Hiring Announcements

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University seeks an Assistant Professor in Urban Horticulture. Apply by Apr 30.

The University of Virginia Department of Environmental Sciences seeks a Research Scientist (Information Manager). Apply by May 1.

The National Wildlife Federation has several positions open. Various closing dates.

Broward County Government in Fort Lauderdale, FL seeks an Environmental Project Coordinator in their Climate Resilience Unit. Open until filled.

The Working Lands Trust seeks a Conservation Associate for a 2-year term. Open until filled.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Conservation & Research Department seeks a Field Technician in Florida. Open until filled.

Auburn University seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Biosystems Engineering Department. Open until filled.

Funding Announcements

The NASEM Gulf Research Program and NOAA Office of Education request proposals for Resilience Education projects. Due by June 10.