Chelsea Clifford
Coastal Scientist
Email:
[[v|ccclifford]]
Phone:
(804) 815-9611
Office:
Andrews Hall 235B
Section:
Coastal & Ocean Processes
Research Interests:
wetlands, ditches, urban ecology, agro-ecology, water
Education
- Ph.D., Duke University, 2018
- B.A., Carleton College, 2010
Summary
I joined Matt Kirwan's lab at the Batten School & VIMS to study plant communities of Tangier Island, along with soil and elevation. We are investigating how salt marsh movement inland may differ between mown and unmown lots. Beyond this project, I also run an interdisciplinary, international collaboration on ditches. Previous research has included how tile drainage nitrogen export responds to agricultural conservation strategies in Iowa, wetland ecosystem structure in ditches of the North Carolina Coastal Plain, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities of ditches and creeks in Bishop, California. Broadly, I am an environmental scientist interested in human-modified aquatic and estuarine ecosystems.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
I grew up in Gloucester, am a Virginia Master Naturalist, and have also worked in environmental communications, environmental education, and stream and wetland restoration monitoring.