This NSF-sponsored undergraduate research program ?REU Site: River and Coastal Restoration,? involves 10 students for 10 weeks of cutting-edge research on two sets of critical environmental restoration problems with scientists and engineers of the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) (www.nced.umn.edu), an NSF-funded Science and Technology Center. Students work on one of two teams, ?Team Delta? focused on issues in coastal Louisiana or ?Team Marmot? focused on issues related to the 2007 removal of the Marmot dam on Oregon?s Sandy River. Both teams spend June at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) (www.safl.umn.edu), at the University of Minnesota, using experimental modeling to develop an understanding of the processes they will explore in the field. They also develop their field research questions and participate in scientific writing, research, and ethics seminars in June. The teams then perform field research in July, one team in coastal Louisiana; the other on the Sandy River. Both teams then return to the University of Minnesota to synthesize their research in posters and papers. Students share their posters at the SAFL summer research symposium and at a larger, interdisciplinary poster session on campus.
Team Marmot participates in an ongoing campaign to document the geomorphic response of the Sandy River to the 2007 removal of the Marmot Dam. NCED research staff, in collaboration with state and federal agencies, use high resolution measurements to compile a detailed record of how the river redistributes sediment formerly trapped behind the 50 ft tall Marmot dam. Sediment redistribution of this magnitude has important implications for ecological habitat, in this case for salmonid species in particular. This project provides a real-world experiment, critical to the development of more effective river management and restoration practices. (www.marmotdam.com)
Team Delta participates in research related to coastal restoration of the Mississippi River Delta. NCED?s Wax Lake field laboratory presents an excellent opportunity to examine linkages between geomorphology and ecology in a coastal restoration context. Additional historical field research areas in the deltaic plain provide students the opportunity to integrate short term projects into a longer-term perspective of geomorphic, biogeochemical, and ecological processes. (www.wbi.lsu.edu)
The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) on River and Coastal Restoration mentored 30 undergraduate students who participated in research with scientists from the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED). Intellectual merit: The REU piloted a new and successful center-focused model for undergraduate research that incorporated student teams who worked under teams of mentors to achieve their research goals. The REU was conducted at several different universities and field sites, and had teams that were multi-disciplinary both in focus and in the backgrounds of the participants. Team Delta worked to promote restoration of the wetlands of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana. Team Marmot focused on understanding morphological change of the Sandy River, Oregon, after the removal of the Marmot Dam. Students in the program also were immersed in NCED's quantitative and experimental approach to Earth-surface dynamics. Students conducted experimental work in flumes at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, worked in the field in Louisiana and Oregon, and learned to do computational modeling with researchers at NCED. Students explored connections between these three research methodologies and how all are important for promoting a better understanding of rivers and coastal areas. Broader impacts: 30 undergraduate students participated. 63% of the students were from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences and 67% of the students were women. To date, 15 of 18 students who have graduated have continued on to graduate programs in the sciences. In addition, 12 students who are still working on their undergraduate degrees report an intention to continue into graduate programs.
