Ecology

Stephen E. Davis, III, Wetland Ecologist -- CV and other projects

Education:
1999 Ph.D. degree: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL  33199. Dissertation Title:  “The Exchange of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Dwarf and Fringe Mangroves of the Oligotrophic Southern Everglades”  (D.L. Childers, Advisor)
1995 M.S. degree:  Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Morehead State University (MSU), Morehead, KY  40351.  Thesis Title:  “Water Quality Analysis of Seven Eastern Kentucky Reservoirs” (B.C. Reeder, Advisor)
1993 B.S. degree:  Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Minor in Chemistry. Georgetown College (GC), Georgetown, KY

Positions:
2009-present Wetland Ecologist: Everglades Foundation
2007-2009 Associate Professor: Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University.
2005-2009 Faculty Member: Interdisciplinary Research Program in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Texas A&M University.
2005-2009 Faculty Member: Interdisciplinary Degree Program in Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Texas A&M University.
2001-2007 Assistant Professor: Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University.
1999-2001 Post-doctoral Research Associate, Southeast Environmental Research Center and Florida Coastal Everglades LTER, Florida International University.
1995-1999 Teaching and Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University.
1993-1995 Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Morehead State University.

Professional Affiliations: American Geophysical Union, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, Gulf Estuarine Research Society, and Society of Wetland Scientists

Research

Research Interests:
My research focuses on understanding the interrelationships between ecosystem structure and function and considers the various biotic and abiotic drivers of wetland and estuarine ecosystems.  Research projects have ranged from investigations on the role of freshwater inflows in driving spatial and temporal patterns in water quality and water column productivity to controlled experiments of macrophyte growth and decay.  Many of my studies have applied aspects that pertain to ecological restoration and ecosystem development as modified by eutrophication or hydrological alteration.

Grants & Contracts (last 5 years):
2010-2011: “A synthesis of more than 20 years of freshwater Everglades research” (co-PI; National Park Service): $900,000.
2008-2010: “Freshwater inflows: influence of nutrient and sediment load on our ability to define beneficial flows for Galveston Bay” (co-PI; Texas Sea Grant): $281,012.
2008-2009: “Phytoplankton Responses to Freshwater Inflows in Galveston Bay” (co-PI; Galveston Bay Estuary Program): $70,021.
2007-2008: “Review of the Desk-top Methodology for Establishing Environmental Flows in Texas Rivers and Streams” (co-PI; Texas Commission for Environmental Quality): $92,000.
2007-2008: “Water quality in the lower Trinity River” (PI; Trinity River Authority): $14,286.
2007-2008: “Freshwater inflows and the health of Galveston Bay: influence of sediment load on the base of the food web.” (co-PI; Texas Coastal Management Program): $97,788.
2006-2012: “FCE II, Coastal Oligotrophic Ecosystems Research; Phase II funding for the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program” (collaborator; NSF): $4.9 million total.
2006-2007: “Factors influencing Prymnesium parvum demographics in Lake Granbury, TX” (co-PI; U.S. Department of Energy): $230,000.
2006-2008: “Estuarine Wetland Control of Nitrogen Loading to Florida Bay” (co-PI; NOAA): $400,000 total.
2005-2008: "Linking Freshwater Inflows and Marsh Community Dynamics in San Antonio Bay to Whooping Cranes II” (co-PI; Guadalupe-Blanco River and San Antonio River Authorities): $275,380.
2005-2006: “Rapid assessment of primary productivity and phytoplankton community structure: A new tool for understanding the importance of phytoplankton communities as a bio-indicator of estuary health.” (co-PI; Texas Coastal Management Program): $80,546.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (underlined names indicate graduate student authors/co-authors)
Davis, S.E., D.L. Childers, J.W. Day, Jr., D.T. Rudnick, and F.H. Sklar. 2001. Wetland-water column exchanges of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in a Southern Everglades Dwarf Mangrove. Estuaries. 24(4):610-622.
Davis, S.E., D.L. Childers, J.W. Day, Jr., D.T. Rudnick, and F.H. Sklar. 2001. Nutrient dynamics in vegetated and non-vegetated areas of a southern Everglades mangrove creek. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 52:753-765.
Davis, S.E. and B.C. Reeder. 2001. A spatial analysis of water quality in eastern Kentucky reservoirs. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management. 4(4):463-477.
Bontempi, P., S.E. Davis, C. Del Castillo, D. Roelke, K.O. Winemiller.  2002.  Transformation of allochthonus dissolved organic carbon in a tropical blackwater river as measured by fluorescence analysis: Application to foodweb ecology.  SPIE 16:1-6.
Davis, S.E., D.L. Childers, J.W. Day, D.T. Rudnick, and F.H. Sklar. 2003. Factors affecting the concentration and flux of materials in two southern Everglades mangrove wetlands. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 253:85-96.
Davis, S.E., C. Corronado-Molina, D.L. Childers, and J.W. Day, Jr.  2003.  Temporal variability in C, N, and P dynamics associated with red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) leaf decomposition. Aquatic Botany. 75:199-215.
Sutula, M.A., B.P. Perez, E. Reyes, D.L. Childers, S.E. Davis, J.W. Day, D. Rudnick, and F. Sklar, 2003. Factors affecting spatial and temporal variability in material exchange between the Southeastern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay  (USA). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.  57:757-781.
Davis S.E., J. Cable, C. Childers, C. Coronado, J. Day, C. Hittle, C. Madden, E. Reyes, D. Rudnick, and F. Sklar. 2004. Importance of episodic storm events in controlling ecosystem structure and function in a Gulf Coast estuary. Journal of Coastal Research. 20(4):1198-1208.
Childers, D.L., J.N. Boyer, S.E. Davis, C. Madden, D. Rudnick, and F. Sklar. 2006. Nutrient concentration patterns in the oligotrophic “upside-down” estuaries of the Florida Everglades. Limnology and Oceanography. 51(1):602-616.
Romigh, M.M., S.E. Davis, V. Rivera-Monroy, and R. Twilley.  2006. Flux of Organic Carbon in a Riverine Mangrove Forest in the Florida Coastal Everglades.  Hydrobiologia.  569:505-516.
Davis, S.E., G.B. Noe, and D.L. Childers.  2006. The Contribution of Leaching to the Rapid Release of Nutrients and Carbon in the Early Decay of Oligotrophic Wetland Vegetation.  Hydrobiologia. 569:87-97.
Butzler, R. and S.E. Davis. 2006. Growth Patterns of Carolina Wolfberry (Lycium carolinianum) in the Salt Marshes of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TX.  Wetlands. 26(3): 845-853.
Roelke, D.L., J. Cotner, J. Montoya, C. Del Castillo, S.E. Davis, J. Snider, G. Gable, and K.O. Winemiller.  2006.  Optically determined sources of allochthonous organic matter and metabolic characterizations in a tropical oligotrophic river and associated lagoon.  Journal of N. American Benthological Society.  25(1):185-197
Davis, S.E. and D.L. Childers. 2007. Importance of water source in controlling leaf leaching losses in a dwarf red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) wetland.  Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science.  71(1-2):194-201.
Zeug, S.C., V.R. Shervette, D.J. Hoeinghaus, and S.E. Davis. 2007.  Nekton assemblage structure in natural and created marsh-edge habitats of the Guadalupe Estuary, Texas, USA. Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science.  71(3-4):457-466.
Hoeinghaus, D. and S.E. Davis. 2007. Size-based trophic shifts of salt-marsh dwelling blue crabs elucidated by dual stable C and N isotope analyses. Marine Ecology Progress Series.  334:199-204.
Rivera-Monroy, V., K. de Mustert, R. Twilley, E. Castañeda, M. Romigh, and S.E. Davis.  2007.  Patterns of nutrient exchange in a riverine mangrove forest in the Shark River Estuary, Florida, USA.  Hidrobiològica.  17(2):169-178.
Brody, S.D., S.E. Davis, W.E. Highfield, and S. Bernhardt. 2008.  A spatial-temporal analysis of wetland alteration in Texas and Florida: Thirteen years of impact along the coast.  Wetlands. 28(1):107-116.
Miller, C.J., D.L. Roelke, S.E. Davis, H.P. Li, and G. Gable. 2008. The Role of Inflow Magnitude and Frequency on Plankton Communities from the Guadalupe Estuary, Texas, USA: Findings from Microcosm Experiments. Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science.  80(1):67-73.
Davis, S.E., B. Allison, M. Driffill, and S. Zhang. 2009.  Influence of vessel-induced drawdown currents on tidal creek hydrodynamics in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (TX, USA): implications on sediment dynamics. Journal of Coastal Research.  25(2):359-365.
Miller, C.J., S.E. Davis, D.L. Roelke, H.P. Li, and M. Driffill. 2009. Factors Influencing Algal Biomass in Intermittently-Connected, Subtropical Coastal Ponds. Wetlands.  29(2):759-771.
Castañeda-Moya, E., R.R. Twilley, V.H. Rivera-Monroy, K. Zhang, S.E. Davis, and M. Ross.  2010.  Spatial patterns of sediment deposition in mangrove forests of the Florida Coastal Everglades after the passage of Hurricane Wilma.  Estuaries and Coasts.  33:45-58.
Rivera-Monroy, V.H., R.R. Twilley, S.E. Davis, et al.  IN PRESS.  The role of the Everglades mangrove ecotone region (EMER) in regulating nutrient cycling and wetland productivity in south Florida.  Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology.

Chapters in Edited Volumes:
Childers, D.L., S.E. Davis, R. Twilley, and V. Rivera-Monroy. 1999. Wetland-water column interactions and the biogeochemistry of estuary-watershed coupling around the Gulf of Mexico.  pp. 211-235.  In: T. Bianchi, J. Pennock, and R. Twilley (Eds.), Biogeochemistry of Gulf of Mexico Estuaries.  John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Davis, S.E., D. Lirman, and J. Wozniak. 2009. Nitrogen and phosphorus exchange between tropical coastal ecosystems.  pp. 9-43.  In: I. Nagelkerken (Ed.), Ecological Connectivity Among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems.  Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Submitted Talks (presenter/first author only):
Sediment and Nutrient Considerations in Three Tidal Creeks of North Inlet, South Carolina. November 9, 1991 at the Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences, Owensboro, KY.
Nutrient Considerations in Tidal Creeks of North Inlet, South Carolina.  April 10, 1992 at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Advective Nutrient Flux in Tidal Creeks of North Inlet, South Carolina.  April 16, 1993 at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, Virginia Beach, VA.
Water Quality Analysis of Eight Eastern Kentucky Reservoirs.  November 1, 1994 at the Annual Scientific Symposium for the Ohio River Basin Consortium for Research and Education, Huntington, WV.
Two New Methods for Measuring Nutrient Flux in South Florida Mangrove Systems.  May 13, 1996 at Mangrove Modeling and Flume Techniques Workshop, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL.
Salinity and Organic Matter Transformations as Controls on Wetland-Water Column Interactions in a South Florida Mangrove.  May 24, 1997 at the 1st Annual Walt Dineen Society for South Florida Ecosystems, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
Nutrient Flux and Organic Matter Transformations in Everglades Mangrove Wetlands.  August 13, 1997 at the 1997 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (joint meeting with The Nature Conservancy), Albuquerque, NM.
The Influence of Salinity on Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Flux in Two South Florida Mangrove Communities.  October 13, 1997 at 14th Biennial International Meeting of the Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, RI.
Effect of Salinity on Wetland-Water Column Interactions in Taylor River Mangroves.  January 7, 1998 at the monthly “Brown Bag” Seminar at the Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
Seasonal Variation in Concentration and Fluxes of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Two South Florida Mangrove Forests.  March 27, 1998 at the Gulf Estuarine Research Society’s Spring Meeting, Galveston, TX.
Investigating the Influence of Season/Salinity on Mangrove-Water Column Interactions at two Spatial Scales in Taylor River (poster).  May 12, 1998 at the Florida Bay Science Conference, Miami, TX.
The Release of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus via Leaf Leaching in an Oligotrophic Mangrove Wetland of the Southern Everglades – An experiment testing the effects of salinity and season.  January 15, 1999 at the 1st Annual Biology Research Symposium, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
The Release of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus via Leaf Leaching in an Oligotrophic Mangrove Wetland of the Southern Everglades – An experiment testing the effects of salinity and season.  March 26, 1999 at the joint meeting of the Gulf Estuarine Research Society and American Benthological Society, Baton Rouge, LA.
The Seasonality of Mangrove-Water Column Nutrient Dynamics in South Florida.  September 30, 1999 at the 15th Biennial Estuarine Research Federation meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Intra-Annual Variability in the Concentration and Flux of Nutrients along the Salinity Transition Zone of the Southern Everglades.  April 18, 2000 at the 15th Annual Symposium U.S. Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology & the 2nd Conference of the Walt Dineen Society, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Seagrass and Mangrove Restoration in the Upper Florida Keys.  February 2, 2001 at the 3rd Annual Biology Research Symposium. Florida International University, Miami, FL.
Macrophyte-derived DOM: an important source of energy and nutrients to the southern Everglades ecosystem. June 3, 2002 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Lake Placid, NY.
Importance of episodic storm events in controlling ecosystem structure and function in the southern Everglades mangrove transition zone. June 12, 2003 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, LA.
Determining the importance of freshwater inflows to ecological structure and function of the bays and marshes of the Guadalupe Estuary.  July 23, 2004 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Seattle, WA.
Factors affecting tidal creek hydrodynamics and materials exchange between salt marshes and adjacent bays of the Guadalupe Estuary (TX). March 22, 2005 at the 9th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Baton Rouge, LA.
Determining the importance of freshwater inflows to ecological structure and function in the bays and marshes of the Guadalupe Estuary (TX).  April 1, 2005 at the Gulf Estuarine Research Society Meeting, Pensacola, FL.
Physical, chemical, and biological responses to inflow events in Galveston and San Antonio Bays (TX).  October 18, 2005 at the Biennial Estuarine Research Federation meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Hurricane/Storm-driven Hydrology and Materials Exchange in the Estuarine Transition Zone of the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE).  September 21, 2006 at the triennial LTER All-Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, CO.
A Case for Carbon-controlled Phosphorus Cycling in the Southern Everglades Mangrove Ecotone.  April 3, 2007 at the 10th International Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry, Annapolis, MD.
Carbon dynamics in tropical coastal peatlands: implications from foodwebs to global climate change.  January 30, 2009 at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Friday lunchtime seminar, College Station, TX.
Seasonal dynamics in materials exchange along the mangrove ecotone of the Florida Everglades.  September 16, 2009 at the triennial LTER All-Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, CO.

Invited Talks:
Nutrient Dynamics along the Salinity Transition Zone of the Southern Everglades Mangrove System.  April 28, 2000 as part of the Coastal Ecology Institute Seminar Series, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
Everglades mangrove wetlands: An important ecological link between the freshwater Everglades and Florida Bay.  April 13, 2001 to Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC.
Everglades mangrove wetlands: An important ecological link between the freshwater Everglades and Florida Bay.  May 3, 2001 to Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Wind and precipitation effects on the physical and chemical properties of surface water in a micro-tidal mangrove waterway.  November 5, 2001 at the 16th Biennial Conference of the Estuarine Research Federation, St. Pete Beach, FL.
Macrophyte-derived DOM: an important source of energy and nutrients to the southern Everglades ecosystem. March 18, 2002 to Department of Marine Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX.
Event-driven nutrient dynamics in a southern Everglades mangrove creek. May 30, 2002 at the Summer Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.
Determining the importance of freshwater inflows to ecological structure and function in the bays and marshes of the Guadalupe Estuary.  September 8, 2004 at the quarterly meeting of the TPWD Freshwater Inflows Working Group, Bastrop, TX.
Effects of hurricanes on Everglades ecosystem structure and function.  November 18, 2004 at the Annual Symposium of the Association of Ecosystem Research Centers, Washington, D.C.
Understanding the importance of pulsed events in Gulf Coast estuaries.  April 20, 2005 Marine Biology Departmental Seminar at Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX.
Physical, chemical, and biological responses to inflow events in Galveston and San Antonio Bays (TX).  October 31, 2005 at the Environmental Flows Conference: “Flows for the Future” meeting, San Marcos, TX.
Use of high-resolution spatial mapping to estimate plankton response to freshwater inflows entering Galveston Bay: Importance of watershed development and ecosystem health.  November 15, 2005 to the Monitoring & Research Subcommittee of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Houston, TX
The Role of Abiotic Factors in the Development and Maintenance of Shallow Water Aquatic Ecosystems.  August 30, 2006 to the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Use of high-resolution spatial mapping to estimate plankton response to freshwater inflows entering Galveston Bay: Importance of watershed development and ecosystem health II.  December 5, 2006 to the Monitoring & Research Subcommittee of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Houston, TX
Landscape-scale disturbances in coastal mangrove ecosystems: the role of hurricanes in driving patterns of materials exchange.  May 25, 2007 at the EcoSummit meeting in Beijing, PR China (unable to attend but talk was given by Dr. Sharon Ewe).
River inflow effects on spatial and temporal water quality patterns in two Texas estuaries.  November 6, 2007 at the Biennial Estuarine Research Federation meeting, Providence, RI.
Wetland ecosystem function in dynamic settings: traversing scales of time and space to address human impacts.  February 21, 2008 to the Department of Biology at Florida International University, Miami, FL.
Ecosystem function in dynamic coastal settings: the role of freshwater inflows and human impacts.  June 17, 2008 to the Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL.
Spatial and temporal nutrient dynamics in the mangrove ecotone of Taylor River, FL.  July 30, 2008 at the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Meeting, Naples, FL.
Carbon dynamics in tropical coastal peatlands.  March 23, 2009 to the Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Carbon dynamics in tropical coastal peatlands: the importance of scale and human impacts.  September 11, 2009 to the Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.

Teaching

Course taught at Texas A&M University:
 WFSC 628: Wetland Ecology: fall semesters from 2001-2008
 WFSC 428: Wetland Ecosystem Management: spring semesters 2004-2009
 WFSC 489: Special Topics in Wetland Ecosystems (spring 2002 and 2003)
 WFSC 489: Special Topics in Tropical Coastal Ecology (Study Abroad in Belize; Summer 2002)
 Mangrove Ecology (taught to undergraduate students in Puerto Rico; Summer 2003)
 WFSC 689: Seminar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Spring 2002)

Guest lectures on: “Estuarine Wetlands” (2007), “Importance of Freshwater Inflows to Estuaries” (2006), “Coastal Wetland Restoration” (2005), “Coastal Wetland Ecology” (2004), “Estuaries and Freshwater Inflows” (2003), “Mangrove Ecology” (2003), “Mangrove Ecology” (2002), “General Wetland Ecology” (2002) 

Graduate Student Advising (Committee Chair or co-Chair): 9 graduate students between 2002 and 2010, 7 completed (all M.S. and 2 non-thesis), 1 M.S. and 1 Ph.D. student current

Graduate Student Advising (Graduate Committees): served on 35 graduate student committees from 10 different departments spanning 3 different academic institutions, 23 graduate committees completed (14 M.S. and 9 Ph.D.) as of 2009.

Undergraduate Mentoring: 5 undergraduate students from Texas A&M and University of New Mexico mentored as part of NSF-REU program between 2003 and 2009

Post-Doctoral Advising: 1 post-doctoral at Texas A&M (Dr. Jeffrey Wozniak) from 2007-2009

Service

2008 Expert panelist for EPA’s Mangrove Fact Sheet development for south Florida
2008 Expert Panelist for EPA’s Report on the Environment: Wetland Condition Indicators
2007 Member: ERF Niering Award Committee for Outstanding Educator
2007 Member: FCE-LTER Information Management Advisory Committee
2007-present Panelist: working group to assess and refine the Texas in-stream flow methodology
2003-present Panelist: NSF (DEB); NSF (SBIR/STTR); NOAA CSCOR; LA/MS Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST); Maryland Sea Grant
2003-present Ad hoc reviewer: NSF (DEB), NOAA (CSCOR), USGS (NIWR), USACE (ERDC)
2001 Panelist: Estuarine Research Federation workshop on “Academic Job Searches, Transitions, and Early Academic Careers”
2001-2007 Judge: student posters and oral presentations at annual and biennial meetings of the Society for Wetland Scientists and Estuarine Research Federation, respectively
1998-present Referee: Aquatic Botany; Archiv Für Hydrobiologie; Biota Neotropica; Ecological Engineering; Ecology; Estuaries; Estuaries & Coasts; Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science; Hydrobiologia; Indian Journal of Marine Science; International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management; Journal of Coastal Research; JGR-Atmospheres; JGR-Biogeosciences; Limnology & Oceanography; Mangroves & Salt Marshes; Marine Ecology Progress Series; Marine Environmental Research; Marine Pollution Bulletin; Rangeland Ecology & Management; Wetland Ecology & Management; and Wetlands