Davina L. Passeri, PhD
My research is focused on developing integrated modeling approaches to assess the dynamic effects of sea level rise on coastal environments and to inform management decision-making.
Davina Passeri is a Research Oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey. Her research is concentrated in numerical modeling of tides, waves, hurricane storm surge and barrier island morphology to understand how the coast may evolve in the future under drivers such as extreme storms and sea level rise. She is involved in research projects focused on:
- Dynamic effects of sea level rise on coastal hydrodynamics and morphology
- Short- and long-term barrier island evolution
- Estuarine and marsh evolution
- Transdisciplinary biogeophysical assessments
- Restoration assessments to enhance coastal resilience
The results from her work are used to improve the scientific knowledge on the effects of short- and long-term drivers in coastal evolution and to inform coastal management decision-making.
Professional Experience
Research Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2017-present
Mendenhall Post-Doctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal & Marine Science Center, 2015-2017
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Civil Engineering, University of Central Florida, 2015
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 2010
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 23
Data from: Decision science for management of coastal ecosystems
Coastal management decisions are complex and include challenging tradeoffs. Decision science offers a useful framework to address such complex problems. We illustrate the process with several coastal restoration studies. Our capstone example is based on a recent barrier island restoration assessment project at Dauphin Island, Alabama, which included the development of geomorphological...
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Seamless topographic-bathymetric (topo-bathy) profiles and their derived morphologic characteristics were developed for sandy coastlines along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The topo-bathy profiles are published as a database in the Hierarchical Data Format version 5 (HDF5) which contain cross-shore distance coordinates, Universe Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate...
Assessing the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico Microtidal Wetland System Change in the Apalachicola-Big-Bend Region Under Sea-Level-Rise: Model Inputs and Outputs
Using the Hydrodynamic-Marsh Equilibrium Model (Hydro-MEM), the wetlands system within the Apalachicola-Big-Bend region of Florida (FL) (Fig. 1) was assessed using three sea-level rise scenarios of intermediate-low (50 centimeters [cm] by 2100), intermediate (1 meter [m] by 2100), and intermediate-high (1.5 m by 2100) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Hydro...
Single-Beam Bathymetry Data Collected in March 2021 from Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi/Alabama
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida (USGS - SPCSMC), conducted a single-beam bathymetry survey within Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi/Alabama, from March 3-6, 2021. Efforts were supported by the Estuarine and MaRsh Geology project (EMRG), and the data described will provide baseline...
Assessing the Effectiveness of Nourishment in Decadal Barrier Island Morphological Resilience: Model Inputs and Outputs
The effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience was assessed using the XBeach model to simulate morphologic change over a 30-year period at Dauphin Island, AL, under scenarios of no-action and beach and dune nourishment, as described in Passeri et al., 2021. The 30-year simulation used a storm climatology developed for the region based on synthetic...
Idealized Antecedent Topography Sensitivity Study: Initial Baseline and Modified Profiles Modeled with XBeach
The one-dimensional model inputs of idealized topography and bathymetry values for simulation of synthetic storm evolution with XBeach, as described in Mickey and others (2020) are provided here. The idealized topography and bathymetry were derived from LiDAR data from Dauphin Island, AL, USA over the timespan of 2005 to 2015. For further information regarding model input generation of...
Filter Total Items: 38
Projected sea-level rise and high tide flooding at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Florida
IntroductionNational parks and preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region contain valuable coastal habitats such as tidal wetlands and mangrove forests, as well as irreplaceable historic buildings and archeological sites located in low-lying areas. These natural and cultural resources are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise and escalating high tide flooding events. Through a...
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Davina Passeri, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons
Enhancing assessments of coastal wetland migration potential with sea-level rise: Accounting for uncertainty in elevation data, tidal data, and future water levels
Sea-level rise rates are predicted to surpass rates of wetland vertical adjustment in the coming decades in many areas, increasing the potential for wetland submergence. Information on where wetland migration is possible can help natural resource managers for planning land acquisition or enhancing habitat connectivity to bolster adaptation of coastal wetlands to rising seas. Elevation...
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Hana R. Thurman, Claire E. McHenry, William Vervaeke, Brett Patton, Davina Passeri, Jason M. Stoker, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons
Modeling the effects of interior headland restoration on estuarine sediment transport processes in a marine-dominant estuary
The effects of interior headland restoration on estuarine sediment transport processes were assessed through process-based numerical modeling. Three proposed interior headland restoration scenarios in the Grand Bay estuary (Mississippi/Alabama) were modeled using Delft3D to understand impacts on suspended sediment concentrations, bed level morphology, and sediment fluxes under present...
Authors
Robert L Jenkins, Davina Passeri, Christopher G. Smith, David M. Thompson, Kathryn Smith
Modeling the effects of large-scale interior headland restoration on tidal hydrodynamics and salinity transport in an open coast, marine-dominant estuary
The effects of large-scale interior headland restoration on tidal hydrodynamics and salinity transport in an open coast, marine dominant estuary (Grand Bay, Alabama, U.S.A) are investigated using a two-dimensional model, the Discontinuous-Galerkin Shallow Water Equations Model (DG-SWEM). Three restoration alternatives are simulated for present-day conditions, as well as under 0.5 m of...
Authors
Davina Passeri, Robert L Jenkins, Autumn C. Poisson, Matthew V. Bilskie, Peter Bacopoulos
Hindcast of Hurricane Sally impacts on barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico
We performed XBeach and ADIRC+SWAN model simulations of Hurricane Sally over Dauphin and Petit Bois Islands off the Alabama-Mississippi coast to evaluate the morphologic response. Simulated water levels compared well with NOAA tide gauge observations to the east of Dauphin Island with a high model skill of 0.9. In addition, the XBeach model results of water levels, mean current speeds...
Authors
Donya P. Frank-Gilchrist, Davina Passeri, Matthew V. Bilskie
Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems
The loss of ecosystem services due to climate change and coastal development is projected to have significant impacts on local economies and conservation of natural resources. Consequently, there has been an increase in coastal management activities such as living shorelines, oyster reef restoration, marsh restoration, beach and dune nourishment, and revegetation projects. Coastal...
Authors
Julien Martin, Matthew S. Richardson, Davina Passeri, Nicholas Enwright, Simeon Yurek, James G. Flocks, Mitchell J. Eaton, Sara Lynn Zeigler, Hadi Charkhgard, Bradley James Udell, Elise R. Irwin
Non-USGS Publications**
Passeri, D.L., Hagen, S.C., Medeiros, S.C., and Bilskie, M.V., 2015, Impacts of historic morphology and sea level rise on tidal hydrodynamics in a microtidal estuary (Grand Bay, Mississippi): Continental Shelf Research, v. 111, part B, p. 150–158, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2015.08.001.
**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.
Filter Total Items: 15
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 23
Data from: Decision science for management of coastal ecosystems
Coastal management decisions are complex and include challenging tradeoffs. Decision science offers a useful framework to address such complex problems. We illustrate the process with several coastal restoration studies. Our capstone example is based on a recent barrier island restoration assessment project at Dauphin Island, Alabama, which included the development of geomorphological...
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Seamless topographic-bathymetric (topo-bathy) profiles and their derived morphologic characteristics were developed for sandy coastlines along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The topo-bathy profiles are published as a database in the Hierarchical Data Format version 5 (HDF5) which contain cross-shore distance coordinates, Universe Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate...
Assessing the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico Microtidal Wetland System Change in the Apalachicola-Big-Bend Region Under Sea-Level-Rise: Model Inputs and Outputs
Using the Hydrodynamic-Marsh Equilibrium Model (Hydro-MEM), the wetlands system within the Apalachicola-Big-Bend region of Florida (FL) (Fig. 1) was assessed using three sea-level rise scenarios of intermediate-low (50 centimeters [cm] by 2100), intermediate (1 meter [m] by 2100), and intermediate-high (1.5 m by 2100) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Hydro...
Single-Beam Bathymetry Data Collected in March 2021 from Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi/Alabama
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida (USGS - SPCSMC), conducted a single-beam bathymetry survey within Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi/Alabama, from March 3-6, 2021. Efforts were supported by the Estuarine and MaRsh Geology project (EMRG), and the data described will provide baseline...
Assessing the Effectiveness of Nourishment in Decadal Barrier Island Morphological Resilience: Model Inputs and Outputs
The effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience was assessed using the XBeach model to simulate morphologic change over a 30-year period at Dauphin Island, AL, under scenarios of no-action and beach and dune nourishment, as described in Passeri et al., 2021. The 30-year simulation used a storm climatology developed for the region based on synthetic...
Idealized Antecedent Topography Sensitivity Study: Initial Baseline and Modified Profiles Modeled with XBeach
The one-dimensional model inputs of idealized topography and bathymetry values for simulation of synthetic storm evolution with XBeach, as described in Mickey and others (2020) are provided here. The idealized topography and bathymetry were derived from LiDAR data from Dauphin Island, AL, USA over the timespan of 2005 to 2015. For further information regarding model input generation of...
Filter Total Items: 38
Projected sea-level rise and high tide flooding at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Florida
IntroductionNational parks and preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region contain valuable coastal habitats such as tidal wetlands and mangrove forests, as well as irreplaceable historic buildings and archeological sites located in low-lying areas. These natural and cultural resources are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise and escalating high tide flooding events. Through a...
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Davina Passeri, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons
Enhancing assessments of coastal wetland migration potential with sea-level rise: Accounting for uncertainty in elevation data, tidal data, and future water levels
Sea-level rise rates are predicted to surpass rates of wetland vertical adjustment in the coming decades in many areas, increasing the potential for wetland submergence. Information on where wetland migration is possible can help natural resource managers for planning land acquisition or enhancing habitat connectivity to bolster adaptation of coastal wetlands to rising seas. Elevation...
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Hana R. Thurman, Claire E. McHenry, William Vervaeke, Brett Patton, Davina Passeri, Jason M. Stoker, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons
Modeling the effects of interior headland restoration on estuarine sediment transport processes in a marine-dominant estuary
The effects of interior headland restoration on estuarine sediment transport processes were assessed through process-based numerical modeling. Three proposed interior headland restoration scenarios in the Grand Bay estuary (Mississippi/Alabama) were modeled using Delft3D to understand impacts on suspended sediment concentrations, bed level morphology, and sediment fluxes under present...
Authors
Robert L Jenkins, Davina Passeri, Christopher G. Smith, David M. Thompson, Kathryn Smith
Modeling the effects of large-scale interior headland restoration on tidal hydrodynamics and salinity transport in an open coast, marine-dominant estuary
The effects of large-scale interior headland restoration on tidal hydrodynamics and salinity transport in an open coast, marine dominant estuary (Grand Bay, Alabama, U.S.A) are investigated using a two-dimensional model, the Discontinuous-Galerkin Shallow Water Equations Model (DG-SWEM). Three restoration alternatives are simulated for present-day conditions, as well as under 0.5 m of...
Authors
Davina Passeri, Robert L Jenkins, Autumn C. Poisson, Matthew V. Bilskie, Peter Bacopoulos
Hindcast of Hurricane Sally impacts on barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico
We performed XBeach and ADIRC+SWAN model simulations of Hurricane Sally over Dauphin and Petit Bois Islands off the Alabama-Mississippi coast to evaluate the morphologic response. Simulated water levels compared well with NOAA tide gauge observations to the east of Dauphin Island with a high model skill of 0.9. In addition, the XBeach model results of water levels, mean current speeds...
Authors
Donya P. Frank-Gilchrist, Davina Passeri, Matthew V. Bilskie
Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems
The loss of ecosystem services due to climate change and coastal development is projected to have significant impacts on local economies and conservation of natural resources. Consequently, there has been an increase in coastal management activities such as living shorelines, oyster reef restoration, marsh restoration, beach and dune nourishment, and revegetation projects. Coastal...
Authors
Julien Martin, Matthew S. Richardson, Davina Passeri, Nicholas Enwright, Simeon Yurek, James G. Flocks, Mitchell J. Eaton, Sara Lynn Zeigler, Hadi Charkhgard, Bradley James Udell, Elise R. Irwin
Non-USGS Publications**
Passeri, D.L., Hagen, S.C., Medeiros, S.C., and Bilskie, M.V., 2015, Impacts of historic morphology and sea level rise on tidal hydrodynamics in a microtidal estuary (Grand Bay, Mississippi): Continental Shelf Research, v. 111, part B, p. 150–158, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2015.08.001.
**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.
Filter Total Items: 15