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
Land cover map including wetlands and invasive Phragmites circa 2017
Using turbidity measurements to estimate phosphorus and sediment flux in a Great Lakes Coastal Marsh, in Ohio
Native and Invasive Species Plant Growth and Mortality in Growth Media Inoculated with Bacteria Found on Phragmites From New Jersey (2016)
Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment Dikes
Saginaw Bay Restoration Assessment Dikes
Saginaw Bay Restoration Assessment Degree Flowlines
Connecting River Systems Restoration Assessment Degree Flowlines
Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment Degree Flowlines
Connecting River Systems Restoration Assessment Composite Model
Connecting River Systems Restoration Assessment Dikes
Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment Composite Model
Multimedia related to this scientist
Publications by this scientist
Using turbidity measurements to estimate total phosphorus and sediment flux in a Great Lakes coastal wetland
Fungal disease prevention in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa) and other grasses by growth-promoting seed-associated endophytic bacteria from invasive Phragmites australis
Fungal endophytes from seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites australis and their potential role in germination and seedling growth
Disease protection and allelopathic interactions of seed-transmitted endophytic pseudomonads of invasive reed grass (Phragmites australis)
Diversity of fungal endophytes in non-native Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes
Applying the collective impact approach to address non-native species: A case study of the Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative
Evaluation of the functional roles of fungal endophytes of Phragmites australis from high saline and low saline habitats
Functional role of bacteria from invasive Phragmites australis in promotion of host growth
Collaborations, research, and adaptive management to address nonnative Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes Basin
Functional role of an endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in enhancing growth and disease protection of invasive English ivy (Hedera helix L.)
Advancing the science of microbial symbiosis to support invasive species management: a case study on Phragmites in the Great Lakes
Fish assemblages, connectivity, and habitat rehabilitation in a diked Great Lakes coastal wetland complex
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
Land cover map including wetlands and invasive Phragmites circa 2017
Using turbidity measurements to estimate phosphorus and sediment flux in a Great Lakes Coastal Marsh, in Ohio
Native and Invasive Species Plant Growth and Mortality in Growth Media Inoculated with Bacteria Found on Phragmites From New Jersey (2016)
Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment Dikes
Saginaw Bay Restoration Assessment Dikes
Saginaw Bay Restoration Assessment Degree Flowlines
Connecting River Systems Restoration Assessment Degree Flowlines
Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment Degree Flowlines
Connecting River Systems Restoration Assessment Composite Model
Connecting River Systems Restoration Assessment Dikes
Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment Composite Model
Multimedia related to this scientist
Publications by this scientist
Using turbidity measurements to estimate total phosphorus and sediment flux in a Great Lakes coastal wetland
Fungal disease prevention in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa) and other grasses by growth-promoting seed-associated endophytic bacteria from invasive Phragmites australis
Fungal endophytes from seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites australis and their potential role in germination and seedling growth
Disease protection and allelopathic interactions of seed-transmitted endophytic pseudomonads of invasive reed grass (Phragmites australis)
Diversity of fungal endophytes in non-native Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes
Applying the collective impact approach to address non-native species: A case study of the Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative
Evaluation of the functional roles of fungal endophytes of Phragmites australis from high saline and low saline habitats
Functional role of bacteria from invasive Phragmites australis in promotion of host growth
Collaborations, research, and adaptive management to address nonnative Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes Basin
Functional role of an endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in enhancing growth and disease protection of invasive English ivy (Hedera helix L.)
Advancing the science of microbial symbiosis to support invasive species management: a case study on Phragmites in the Great Lakes
Fish assemblages, connectivity, and habitat rehabilitation in a diked Great Lakes coastal wetland complex
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