Leveraging conservation expertise for resilient coastlines
CSI Partnerships: The Nature Conservancy
Northeastern University’s (NU) Coastal Sustainability Institute and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have been actively collaborating in coastal conservation and sustainability science research and practice since 2012. An overarching goal of this agreement is to promote inclusivity, diversity, and equity by advancing the academic and career development of individuals from backgrounds that have been systemically marginalized in marine conservation and scientific communities.
Northeastern University is a global leader in experiential education and research with CSI-driven expertise in marine and coastal ecology, engineering, environmental forecasting, fisheries, ecosystem-based management, ecological restoration, environmental sociology, and sustainability science. The Nature Conservancy is a world leading conservation organization with priorities currently focused on tackling climate change, protecting land and water, providing food and water sustainably, and building healthy cities. The TNC-CSI Partnership leverages these strengths to foster community-centered solutions via:
- Nature-based Strategies for Coastal Protection
- Climate Change Adaptation & Hazard Resilience
- Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture
- Coastal Habitat Conservation & Restoration
CSI-TNC collaborations have already brought in more than $3.35 million in research funds engaging more than 25 TNC Scientists, CSI Faculty, Postdoctoral researchers, and Students.
Coastal Sustainability Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
2024-25 TNC-CSI Fellow: Dr. Jessica Griffin
Jessica graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2017 with a B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science and from the Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology at University of California, Davis and San Diego State University with a PhD in ecology. Jessica’s dissertation research focused on how climate change, eutrophication and invasive species alter interactions between eelgrass and bivalves. In her current position, she applies her research on eelgrass-bivalve interactions to improve outcomes for eelgrass restoration and understand effects of oyster aquaculture on eelgrass.
Recent TNC-CSI Publications & News
Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions (SUNS): Stories from the Gulf
SUNS is a multi-year effort by TNC and research partners at Northeastern to identify and promote nature-based solutions for resiliency in the Florida panhandle. The project uses nature-based solutions to tackle challenges such as flooding, sea-level rise, threats to wildlife, and economic development. Learn more about the project, partners, and future work in this feature by The Nature Conservancy:
New Publication: Evaluating ecosystem services in urban salt marshes
2023-24 TNC-CSI Postdoctoral Research Fellow Jahson Alemu worked with TNC collaborators Alison Bowden and Emma Gildesgame and CSI researchers Randall Hughes, Samuel Munoz, and Aron Stubbins to assess vulnerability of urban salt marshes to sea level rise. The work, published in Journal of Environmental Management, integrates ecosystem services into a novel ecological risk assessment framework, identifying spatial and temporal variability in ecosystem service provision and calling for restoration strategies to enhance marsh resilience against sea level rise. Read the full publication here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479724030512
Community Engagement: Catalyst Conversations w/ TNC-CSI Postdoctoral Fellow
CATALYST CONVERSATIONS:
OUR OCEANS, OUR COASTS AND US
Friday, March 21, 6–7 pm ET
In March 2025, the Nature Conservancy of MA collaborated with Catalyst Conversations to present, “Our Oceans, Our Coasts and Us,” a thought-provoking event connecting art and science to explore addressing climate change along our coasts. Current TNC-CSI Postdoc Jessica Griffin was one of the event’s featured panelists. The panel featured short presentations and a powerful panel conversation to packed auditorium space in Cambridge’s Foundry space. The event recording is available in full on the event website at:
https://www.catalystconversations.org/upcoming-events-winter25
Author: CSI Staff