Alyssa Novak

Research Assistant Professor

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I am a coastal ecologist who uses a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches to understand  how coastal ecosystems respond to stressors.  The ultimate goal of my research is to provide information that facilitates initiatives to increase the health and resiliency of coastal systems to human stressors including climate change.  I have worked extensively in seagrass systems developing models and conducting health assessments to identify eelgrass restoration sites; assessing the role of donor populations in promoting the establishment and resilience of eelgrass at restoration sites; and investigating the adaptive significance of leaf-reddening as a stress response in seagrasses.  I also work in salt marsh systems studying the processes that govern their formation and stability, as well as their response to climate change.

Ph.D.  Natural Resources and Earth Sciences- Oceanography, University of New Hampshire
M.S.   Environmental Science- GIS and Satellite Remote Sensing, University of Rhode Island
B.A.    Biology,  University of Virginia