Kurt P Kowalski, PhD
My work differs from that of many other scientists because, although I am a Research Wetland Ecologist with a research focus on Great Lakes coastal wetland habitats and invasive plant species (e.g., Phragmites australis), I have extensive involvement in the application of research results into practice and policy (e.g., development of novel adaptive management approaches).
Can we find innovative control approaches for Phragmites australis (Common Reed) and other invasive plant species of concern to resource managers?
What is the role of hydrologic connectivity in the rehabilitation and adaptive management of diked and coastal wetland ecosystems in the Laurentian Great Lakes and throughout the nation?
What is the landscape-scale potential for coastal wetland habitat rehabilitation throughout the Great Lakes basin?
These are a few of the research questions that I have been working on during my 27+ years at the Great Lakes Science Center. My master’s work in GIS and remote sensing at Eastern Michigan University and doctoral studies at the University of Michigan provided a solid foundation for extensive work with USFWS refuges (Detroit River, Ottawa, Seney, Shiawassee), Michigan DNR, Ohio DNR, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and many other partners. I’ve studied the marshes of western Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) for many years and continue to work with managers to apply site specific results at national scales. Leadership experiences at the National Conservation Leadership Institute and within USGS have helped me conduct some innovative science and push our research teams in new directions.
Select Research Projects:
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment: overview, geonarrative, and mappers (See Web Tools tab below)
Collaborative coastal wetland restoration planning and monitoring for over 1,000 acres (400 hectares) at the USFWS Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Implementation of the binational Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, Coastal Ecosystems Branch, 11/06 – present, U.S.G.S. – Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Geographer, Coastal and Wetland Ecology Branch, 3/97 – 11/06, U.S.G.S. – Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Plants), Coastal and Wetland Ecology Branch, 1/95 – 1/97, U.S.G.S. – Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MI
National Conservation Leadership Institute Cohort 7 (2012), NCLI 2.0 (2018), Training (2020), Conference (2021), and Summit (2022)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (Aquatic Ecology), University of Michigan
M.S. (Geography with concentration on Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing), Eastern Michigan University
B.S. (Natural Resources Policy and Behavior), University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources and Environment
Professional Wetland Scientist (P.W.S.) Certification, Society of Wetland Scientists, 2001 – Present
Affiliations and Memberships*
President, Restoration Section, Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS), 2022 – Present
Regional Contact, North Central Chapter, Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS), 2012 – Present
President, North Central Chapter, SWS, 2004 – 2007
Member, Society of Wetland Scientists, 1994 – Present
Science and Products
Science pages by this scientist
Data releases by this scientist
Phragmites australis Transcriptome Assembly Optimization
Histochemical study of nitrogen-transfer endosymbiosis
Wetland vegetation and elevation of Arcadia Marsh, Michigan (1995-2010)
Effects of fungal endophytes on invasive Phragmites australis (ssp. australis) performance in growth chamber and field experiments at the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve (N 39.217, W −86.540) (2018)
Reference genome for Phragmites australis (Poaceae, subfamily Arundinoideae) and comparison of North American invasive genotype (ssp. australis) and native (ssp. americanus)
Data collected to support research on grass crop growth promotion and biostimulation by endophytic bacteria
Land cover classifications and associated data from treatment areas enrolled in the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework, 2018
Soil microbes surrounding native and non-native Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes and East Coast of the United States (2015-2017 survey)
The effects of North American fungi and bacteria on Phragmites australis leaves 2017-2019, with comparisons to the global Phragmites microbiome
DIDSON video collection of Coastal Lake Erie Wetland, Lucas Co, Ohio in 2011
Hydrogeochemical mixing data from Lake Michigan tributaries 2011
Total phosphorus and water flux at a restored hydrologic connection at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in 2013 and 2014
Multimedia related to this scientist
Publications by this scientist
Using uncrewed aerial vehicles for identifying the extent of invasive Phragmites australis in treatment areas enrolled in an adaptive management program
Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
Improved fish counting method accurately quantifies high‐density fish movement in dual‐frequency identification sonar data files from a coastal wetland environment
Growth and behavior of North American microbes on Phragmites australis leaves
Intraspecific and biogeographical variation in foliar fungal communities and pathogen damage of native and invasive Phragmites australis
Review: Endophytic microbes and their potential applications in crop management
Seed-vectored microbes: Their roles in improving seedling fitness and competitor plant suppression
Seasonal patterns in hydrochemical mixing in three Great Lakes rivermouth ecosystems
Manipulating wild and tamed phytobiomes: Challenges and opportunities
Root endophytes and invasiveness: no difference between native and non‐native Phragmites in the Great Lakes Region
Evidence for widespread microbivory of endophytic bacteria in roots of vascularplants through oxidative degradation in root cell periplasmic spaces
Rhizophagy cycle: An oxidative process in plants for nutrient extraction from symbiotic microbes
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Web tools by this scientist
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment Geonarrative
The Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment (GLCWRA) uses principles of geodesign to identify, assess, and restore areas along the U.S. coast of the Great Lakes that have the most potential to restore coastal wetland habitat. This Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funded work supports land managers and restoration practitioners from site-specific to landscape scales.
Software by this scientist
News about this scientist
Science and Products
Science pages by this scientist
Data releases by this scientist
Phragmites australis Transcriptome Assembly Optimization
Histochemical study of nitrogen-transfer endosymbiosis
Wetland vegetation and elevation of Arcadia Marsh, Michigan (1995-2010)
Effects of fungal endophytes on invasive Phragmites australis (ssp. australis) performance in growth chamber and field experiments at the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve (N 39.217, W −86.540) (2018)
Reference genome for Phragmites australis (Poaceae, subfamily Arundinoideae) and comparison of North American invasive genotype (ssp. australis) and native (ssp. americanus)
Data collected to support research on grass crop growth promotion and biostimulation by endophytic bacteria
Land cover classifications and associated data from treatment areas enrolled in the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework, 2018
Soil microbes surrounding native and non-native Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes and East Coast of the United States (2015-2017 survey)
The effects of North American fungi and bacteria on Phragmites australis leaves 2017-2019, with comparisons to the global Phragmites microbiome
DIDSON video collection of Coastal Lake Erie Wetland, Lucas Co, Ohio in 2011
Hydrogeochemical mixing data from Lake Michigan tributaries 2011
Total phosphorus and water flux at a restored hydrologic connection at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in 2013 and 2014
Multimedia related to this scientist
Publications by this scientist
Using uncrewed aerial vehicles for identifying the extent of invasive Phragmites australis in treatment areas enrolled in an adaptive management program
Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
Improved fish counting method accurately quantifies high‐density fish movement in dual‐frequency identification sonar data files from a coastal wetland environment
Growth and behavior of North American microbes on Phragmites australis leaves
Intraspecific and biogeographical variation in foliar fungal communities and pathogen damage of native and invasive Phragmites australis
Review: Endophytic microbes and their potential applications in crop management
Seed-vectored microbes: Their roles in improving seedling fitness and competitor plant suppression
Seasonal patterns in hydrochemical mixing in three Great Lakes rivermouth ecosystems
Manipulating wild and tamed phytobiomes: Challenges and opportunities
Root endophytes and invasiveness: no difference between native and non‐native Phragmites in the Great Lakes Region
Evidence for widespread microbivory of endophytic bacteria in roots of vascularplants through oxidative degradation in root cell periplasmic spaces
Rhizophagy cycle: An oxidative process in plants for nutrient extraction from symbiotic microbes
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Web tools by this scientist
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment Geonarrative
The Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment (GLCWRA) uses principles of geodesign to identify, assess, and restore areas along the U.S. coast of the Great Lakes that have the most potential to restore coastal wetland habitat. This Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funded work supports land managers and restoration practitioners from site-specific to landscape scales.
Software by this scientist
News about this scientist
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government