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August 2026 Newsletter

August 20, 2026
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Southeast CASC News

There’s still time to register for our science seminar happening today at 1pm ET co-hosted with Southeast RISCC on Invading Meadows: Tropical Seagrass Across the Caribbean featuring Kelcie Chiquillo.

2025-26 Global Change Research Fellow, Asmit Neupane presented his research on red oaks at the IUFRO International Conference on Reforestation Under Drought.

Legna Torres-Garcia shared her work on flood mapping in Puerto Rico with NotiCentro. 

Skylar Hopkins is the lead author on an IUCN toolkit on assessing and reducing infectious disease risks in protected and conserved areas.

Nils Peterson explains why human-wildlife conflict happens and how birdsong and walks in the forest are tied to significant mental health benefits.

Corey Dunn is a co-author on a Global Change Biology Communications article on Adaptive Capacity of Freshwater Organisms in North America: Current Understanding and Future Applications. 

Paul Armsworth has been awarded a 2026 Rollie Lamberson Research Award for a paper on Multilevel decision-making and protected area prioritization in  Natural Resource Modeling.

Community News from the Southeast

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is conducting a survey on Restoration and Reforestation in the state.

The Coastal GeoTools conference is calling for abstracts, due by Sept 28.

The town of Murphy, NC is set to transfer Fort Butler Park to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Catawba Bend Preserve is a rehabilitation site for a rare sunflower species native to the Carolina Piedmont region.

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

  • Climate Education & Community Engagement Course. The Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab is offering a course to explore climate literacy, climate communication, local risk and asset mapping, community engagement, youth agency, and climate resilience. Aimed at educators, community leaders, NGO practitioners, students, volunteers, and others interested in climate resilience through community action. 
  • Spatial Data Science: The New Frontier in Analytics. This ESRI MOOC course explores the application of spatial data science to uncover hidden patterns and improve predictive modeling. It covers comprehensive data-engineering workflows, deep learning models, space-time cubes, and predictive regression analysis. 

Publications

Sustained deoxygenation in global flowing waters under climate warming. Science Advances 

In this article, the authors estimated the dissolved oxygen concentration in over 20,000 rivers globally to examine patterns and trends between 1985-2023. They found a trend of deoxygenation that was driven largely by oxygen solubility and temperature. They suggest that this study serves as the baseline for dissolved oxygen concentrations and recommend targeted measures to mitigate deoxygenation and protect fluvial ecosystem health.

Sea level rise weakens the restoration benefit of mussel–cordgrass facilitation in salt marshes. Journal of Applied Ecology

In this article, the authors explored how ribbed mussels enhanced cordgrass biomass accumulation based on elevation on an inundation gradient. They found that the positive restoration effects of the interaction between ribbed mussels and cordgrass declined as sea level rise lowered the relative elevation of an area. They suggest that relative elevation can be a useful screening metric for deciding which areas to prioritize in marsh restoration.

The air pollution benefits of low-severity fire. Science 

In this article, the authors examined the impacts of prescribed burns on air quality by examining 20 years of satellite data across California. They found that while there were short term air pollution impacts, these burns immediately reduced the probability of very-high-severity wildfires that also translated into protection lasting up to a decade in that location. They conclude that smoke production therefore decreased with prescribed burns over the course of a treatment program.

Opportunities

Student Announcements

The University of Florida Environmental Engineering Sciences Department is accepting applications for a PhD student and a Lab Technician II. Preferred start in Aug. 

The University of Auckland is accepting applications for their Nature Positive PhD Cohort. Due by Aug 31.

The University of Waikato is accepting applications for a Co-designing Decision-Support Tools for Nature-based Solutions in Climate Resilience PhD. Due by Aug 31.

The Osburn Lab at NC State University is accepting applications for a PhD Graduate Student Researcher in Marine Biogeochemistry. Due by Oct 1.

AAAS is accepting applications for the Pathways to Policy Fellowship. Due by Nov 1.

University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is accepting applications for a Socioecology Research and Engagement Fellowship. Open until filled.

Hiring Announcements

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is seeking an Environmental Consultant. Apply by Aug 21.

The Department of the Interior is seeking an Integrated Resources Program Manager. Apply by Aug 23.

University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is seeking a Coastal Ecology Researcher. Open until filled. 

Northeast New Hanover Conservancy is seeking a Lead Hydrographic Surveyor and Coastal Research Specialist. Open until filled.

Lynker Corporation is seeking a Coastal Resilience Specialist. Open until filled.

Funding Announcements

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service requests proposals for their North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grants. Due by Sept 25.