Eric Grossman

Eric Grossman

Dr. Eric Grossman has been working on climate and ecosystem science in the Skagit since 2006. His research has focused on estuarine mixing, sediment transport and nearshore habitat change. Eric also conducts research on nearshore processes and habitat responses to climate change and restoration in the Nisqually Delta, and the ecosystem services and impacts of submarine groundwater discharge on coral reefs in Hawaii.

Areas of management potentially impacted by Dr. Grossman’s findings are floodplains, dam operations, lake recreation, habitat restoration, water quality and fisheries.

Research Interests

Skagit-specific research interests

  • The magnitude, phasing and fate of sediment transported from alpine sources through the Skagit River to Skagit Delta and Bay

  • The link between vegetation and sediment trapping/attenuation and their mitigating effects against coastal erosion

  • The influence of sediment deposition rate and composition on benthic invertebrates that serve as important food-prey for fish, birds, and other invertebrates humans rely on for livelihood and culture

  • The drivers and response of nearshore hydrodynamics that influence circulation and their influence on Skagit Delta geomorphology and habitat structure

  • Thermal regimes of essential habitat for endangered fishes and migratory birds

Other research interests

  • Coastal geology: Coastal and shelf morphodynamics, Quaternary evolution, nearshore processes, and sediment transport

  • Coastal ecosystems and Restoration: Science, monitoring, and forecasting

  • Sea level, climate change, coastal hazards: past, present, and future impacts, and mitigation strategies

  • Local and indigenous knowledge

  • Decision-support tool development

Education and Credentials

  • Ph.D., marine geology and geophysics, University of Hawaii, 2001

  • M.S., marine geology and geophysics, University of Hawaii, 1997

  • B.A., geography, University of California, Berkeley, 1989

  • USGS Western Region Science Strategy Success Award (2010) for interdisciplinary research in Puget Sound.

  • Department of Interior Partners in Conservation Award (2009) for building a novel trans-boundary science program linking Western science and Coast Salish traditional ways to improve understanding of water quality patterns, impairment, and processes impacting nearshore ecosystems over a vast area of the Salish Sea.

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • Founding member of the Skagit Climate Science Consortium

  • American Geophysical Union

  • Geological Society of America

  • American Society of Limnology and Oceanography

  • International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS)

  • Ecological Society of America

  • Estuarine Research Foundation

  • Pacific Estuarine Research Foundation

  • International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP #367, #437, #464, #495)

  • Association of American Geographers (AAG)

  • International Quaternary Association (INQUA)

Contact
Email: egrossman@usgs.gov

Additional Information

To learn more about Dr. Grossman, and to access reports not connected directly to climate change in the Skagit, visit USGS Puget Sound