Edward Castaneda

Edward Castaneda, Ph.D., Research Associate
edward.castaneda@fiu.edu

I earned a Ph.D. in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University (2010) and a M.S. in Ecology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (2003). I’m originally from Colombia where I obtained a B.S. in Marine Biology (1998) from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano. My research as a wetland ecologist is focused on nutrient biogeochemistry and ecosystem dynamics of coastal wetlands, including mangrove forests and marshes. I study the effect of large-scale natural (hurricanes) and human (freshwater diversions) disturbances on carbon and nutrient dynamics and vegetation succession to understand trajectories of ecosystem structure and function. I have also conducted extensive research on mangrove restoration projects in Latin America to understand ecosystem trajectories based on environmental characterization, performance measures, and monitoring. My research also includes the implementation of self-activating sensors using a wireless telemetry system to evaluate coastal eutrophication, nutrient dynamics, and sediment transport in coastal ecosystems.