GRI Researcher Receives NSF Funding for Salt Marsh Study
August 20, 2010Dr. Deepak Mishra has received National Science Foundation Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding to study the impact of oil on Louisiana salt marshes due to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The study will allow the identification of hotspots of marsh degradation by evaluating marsh biophysical characteristics including distribution of chlorophyll content, green leaf area and green marsh canopy cover. NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images will be used to retrieve and map these characteristics across the coastal Louisiana salt marshes before and after the spill. The maps and tools produced from the study will be helpful to coastal managers across Louisiana as they evaluate and prioritize the marsh restoration effort which will take place due to the oil spill.
To view the official MSU press release, please visit: Mississippi State University