Gregory Steyer, Ph.D.
Greg Steyer is the USGS Science Advisor for the Gulf of America.
Greg's primary interest is developing ecological indicators, adaptive management approaches, and ecological and landscape models for use in natural resource decision support. For over 30 years, he has worked for State and Federal governments developing monitoring, modeling and research programs for the evaluation of wetland restoration projects and programs.
Greg has developed a comprehensive wetland monitoring network for the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) called the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System, that allows evaluation of the effects of restoration and protection efforts at project, hydrologic basin and coastwide scales. Greg has also developed desktop ecological models for the Louisiana Coastal Area and Louisiana State Master Plan that project over 50 years how wetland vegetation communities and coastal geomorphology will change with and without restoration and protection efforts. Greg is actively involved in working with USGS, DOI and other Gulf of America scientists in developing foundational monitoring and adaptive management programs for the RESTORE Council and Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration Trustee Council. His current research investigates the cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects on coastal landscape change and resilience.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Oceanography and Coastal Studies, Louisiana State University, 2008
M.S., Biology, University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1988
B.S., Biology, University of Maryland College Park, 1985
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 43
Data collection network to support ecosystem forecasting for the Barataria Basin - Mississippi River domain
Ecosystem forecasting is limited by a number of uncertainties including inadequate initialization information, unknown boundary conditions, inaccurate model physics and atmospheric forcing functions, and inadequate algorithm development of geomorphic and ecological responses to hydrodynamic and geophysical processes. Monitoring can help reduce these uncertainties by providing numerical...
Authors
Gregory D. Steyer, Alaina Owens, Brady Couvillion
An integrated monitoring approach using multiple reference sites to assess sustainable restoration in coastal Louisiana
Achieving sustainable resource management in coastal Louisiana requires establishing reference conditions that incorporate the goals and objectives of restoration efforts. Since the reference condition is usually considered sustainable, it can be a gauge to assess the present condition of a (degraded) system or to evaluate progress of management actions toward some target system state...
Authors
Gregory D. Steyer, Robert R. Twilley, Richard C. Raynie
Los impactos de las actividades relacionadas con el petroleo y el gas en la disminucion de los humedales costeros del delta del Misisipi
No abstract available.
Authors
Jae-Young Ko, John W. Jr. Day, John Barras, Robert A. Morton, James D. Johnston, Gregory D. Steyer, G. Paul Kemp, Ellis Clairain, Russell Theriot
A proposed coast-wide reference monitoring system for evaluating Wetland restoration trajectories in Louisiana
Wetland restoration efforts conducted in Louisiana under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act require monitoring the effectiveness of individual projects as well as monitoring the cumulative effects of all projects in restoring, creating, enhancing, and protecting the coastal landscape. The effectiveness of the traditional paired-reference monitoring approach in...
Authors
Gregory D. Steyer, C.E. Sasser, J.M. Visser, E.M. Swenson, J.A. Nyman, R.C. Raynie
The integration of gis and image processing technology for monitoring wetland restoration projects
No abstract available.
Authors
James D. Johnston, J. Barras, Stephen B. Hartley, D. L. Fuller, Gregory D. Steyer
The influence of Hurricane Andrew on sediment distribution in Louisiana coastal marshes
The areal extent and temporal patterns of sediment deposition in delta marshes and shallow water bodies of Louisiana associated with the passage of Hurricane Andrew were determined from sediment traps, marker horizons, and benchmarks deployed for other studies. Data were collected over different time scales from 11 sites representing salt, brackish, and intermediate marshes, shallow...
Authors
Donald R. Cahoon, Denise J. Reed, J.W. Day, Gregory D. Steyer, R.M. Boumans, James F. Lynch, David McNally, Numair Latif
Disturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew
The impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Louisiana coastal landscape and the initial recovery of wetland plant communities was determined from extensive surveys of a large geographic region of coastal marsh near Atchafalaya Bay and intensive studies of an oligohaline marsh on Otter Bayou. Wind and water movements associated with the hurricane resulted in the formation of compressed marsh...
Authors
Glenn Guntenspergen, Donald R. Cahoon, James B. Grace, Gregory D. Steyer, Stephen Fournet, M. A. Townson, A. Lee Foote
Non-USGS Publications**
Steyer, G.D., Couvillion, B., Wang, H., Sleavin, B., Rybczyk, J., Trahan, N., Beck, H., Fischenich, C., Boustany, R., and Allen, Y. 2012. Landscape change and relative elevation sub-models, Appendix D-2 Wetland Morphology Model Technical Report in Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, 104 p.
Casper, Andrew F., Rebecca A. Efroymson, Steven M. Davis, Greg Steyer, and Brian Zettle, 2010, Improving Conceptual Model Development: Avoiding Underperformance Due to Project Uncertainties. ERDC TN-EMRRP-EBA-5, 7 p. The product is available online at http://libweb.erdc.usace.army.mil/Archimages/3263.PDF
Lin, Jeff P., Scott Bourne, Brady Couvillion, Jane M. Smith, Gregg Snedden, Gregory D. Steyer, and Sally L. Yost, 2010, Evaluation of a Method for Measuring Lateral Obscuration of Coastal Marsh Vegetation in Louisiana. ERDC/EL TN-10-2, 15 p. The product is available online at http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/eltn10-02.pdf
Conzelmann, C., G.D. Steyer, M. Comeaux, and K. Suir. 2009. CRMS Mapping Applications and the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API): An Alternative to the Traditional Web Form. The product is available online at http://cs.tamucc.edu/dim/docs/papers/Craig%20Conzelmann.doc
Twilley, R.R., B.R. Couvillion, I. Hossain, C. Kaiser, A.B. Owens, G.D. Steyer, and J.M. Visser. 2008. Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration Program: The Role of Ecosystem Forecasting in Evaluating Restoration Planning in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain. American Fisheries Society Symposium 64:29-46.
Steyer, G.D., A.B. Owens, and B.R. Couvillion. 2006. Data Collection Network to Support Ecosystem Forecasting for the Barataria Basin – Mississippi River Domain. Coastal Environment and Water Quality (ed. By Y.J. Xu & V.P. Singh), 431-442. Water Resources Publications, LLC, Highlands Ranch, CO 80163-0026, USA.
Steyer, G.D., R.R. Twilley and R.C. Raynie. 2006. An Integrated Monitoring Approach Using Multiple Reference Sites to Assess Sustainable Restoration in Coastal Louisiana. Pages 326 – 333 In Aguirre-Bravo, C., Pellicane, Patrick J., Burns, Denver P., and Draggan, Sidney (Eds.) Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere. 2004 September 20-24, Denver, CO. Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD, Fort Collins, CO, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 990 p.
Day, J., J. Barras, E. Clairain, J. Johnston, D. Justic, G. Kemp, J. Ko, R. Lane, W. Mitsch, G. Steyer, P. Templet, and A. Yanez-Arancibia. 2005. Implications of Global Climatic Change and Energy Cost and Availability for the Restoration of the Mississippi Delta. Ecological Engineering. 24:253-265.
Day, J., P. Templet, J. Ko, W. Mitsch, G.P. Kemp, J. Johnston, G. Steyer, J. Barras, D. Justic, E. Clairain, and R. Theriot. 2004. The Mississippi Delta: System Functioning, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Management. Pages 851-880. In: Caso, M., I. Pisanty, and E. Ezcurra (eds). Environmental Diagnosis of the Gulf of Mexico. Vol. 2. National Institute of Ecology, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
Ko, J., J. Day, J. Barras, R. Morton , J. Johnston, G. Steyer, G.P. Kemp, E. Clairain, and R. Theriot. 2004. Impacts of Oil and Gas Activities on Coastal Wetland loss in the Mississippi Delta. Pages 957-977 In: Caso, M., I. Pisanty, and E. Ezcurra (eds). Environmental Diagnosis of the Gulf of Mexico. Vol. 2. National Institute of Ecology, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
Steyer, G.D., C.E. Sasser, J.M. Visser, E.M. Swenson, J.A. Nyman, and R.C. Raynie. 2003. A Proposed Coast-wide Reference Monitoring System for Evaluating Wetland Restoration Trajectories in Louisiana. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 81:107-117.
Summers, J.K., and G.D. Steyer. 2000. A Framework for an Integrated and Comprehensive Monitoring Plan for the Estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, Florida. EPA 620-R-00-006.
Steyer, G.D. and D.W. Llewellyn. 2000. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act: A Programmatic Application of Adaptive Management. Ecological Engineering. 15: 385-395.
Johnston, J.B., J. Barras, S. Hartley, D.A. Fuller, and G. Steyer. 1998. The integration of GIS and image processing technology for monitoring wetland restoration projects. Pages 607-616 in: McComb, A.J., and J.A. Davis, editors. Wetlands for the Future: INTECOL’S V International Wetlands Conference, Perth, Australia.
Steyer, G.D., D. Fuller, and J. Barras. 1995. The integration of GIS and image processing technology with continuous and real-time data collection for monitoring wetland restoration projects. National Interagency Workshop on Wetlands, New Orleans, LA.
Cahoon, D.R., D.J. Reed, J.W. Day, Jr., G.D. Steyer, R.M. Boumans, J.C. Lynch, D. McNally, and N. Latif. 1995. The influence of Hurricane Andrew on sediment distribution in Louisiana coastal marshes. Journal of Coastal Research. SI 21: 280-294.
Guntenspergen, G.R., D.R. Cahoon, J. Grace, G.D. Steyer, S. Fournet, M.A. Townson, and A.L. Foote. 1995. Disturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew. Journal of Coastal Research. SI 21: 324-339.
Steyer, G.D., C.I. Simon, and S.G. Underwood. 1993. A resource management approach for evaluating the effectiveness of wetland restoration projects. Pages 742-745 in: Landin, M.C., editor. Wetlands: Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, LA. South Central Chapter, Society of Wetland Scientists, Utica, MS.
Stone, G.W., J.M. Grymes, III, K.D. Robbins, S.G. Underwood, G.D. Steyer, and R.A. Muller. 1993. A chronologic overview of climatological and hydrological aspects associated with Hurricane Andrew and its morphological effects along the Louisiana coast, USA. Shore and Beach. 61(2): 2-12.
Trepagnier, C.M., B. Good, G.D. Steyer, and W. B. Sutton. 1993. Evaluation of three crevasse splay marsh creation projects at the Mississippi River delta. Pages 115-119 in: Landin, M.C., editor. Wetlands: Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, LA. South Central Chapter, Society of Wetland Scientists, Utica, MS.
**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.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 43
Data collection network to support ecosystem forecasting for the Barataria Basin - Mississippi River domain
Ecosystem forecasting is limited by a number of uncertainties including inadequate initialization information, unknown boundary conditions, inaccurate model physics and atmospheric forcing functions, and inadequate algorithm development of geomorphic and ecological responses to hydrodynamic and geophysical processes. Monitoring can help reduce these uncertainties by providing numerical...
Authors
Gregory D. Steyer, Alaina Owens, Brady Couvillion
An integrated monitoring approach using multiple reference sites to assess sustainable restoration in coastal Louisiana
Achieving sustainable resource management in coastal Louisiana requires establishing reference conditions that incorporate the goals and objectives of restoration efforts. Since the reference condition is usually considered sustainable, it can be a gauge to assess the present condition of a (degraded) system or to evaluate progress of management actions toward some target system state...
Authors
Gregory D. Steyer, Robert R. Twilley, Richard C. Raynie
Los impactos de las actividades relacionadas con el petroleo y el gas en la disminucion de los humedales costeros del delta del Misisipi
No abstract available.
Authors
Jae-Young Ko, John W. Jr. Day, John Barras, Robert A. Morton, James D. Johnston, Gregory D. Steyer, G. Paul Kemp, Ellis Clairain, Russell Theriot
A proposed coast-wide reference monitoring system for evaluating Wetland restoration trajectories in Louisiana
Wetland restoration efforts conducted in Louisiana under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act require monitoring the effectiveness of individual projects as well as monitoring the cumulative effects of all projects in restoring, creating, enhancing, and protecting the coastal landscape. The effectiveness of the traditional paired-reference monitoring approach in...
Authors
Gregory D. Steyer, C.E. Sasser, J.M. Visser, E.M. Swenson, J.A. Nyman, R.C. Raynie
The integration of gis and image processing technology for monitoring wetland restoration projects
No abstract available.
Authors
James D. Johnston, J. Barras, Stephen B. Hartley, D. L. Fuller, Gregory D. Steyer
The influence of Hurricane Andrew on sediment distribution in Louisiana coastal marshes
The areal extent and temporal patterns of sediment deposition in delta marshes and shallow water bodies of Louisiana associated with the passage of Hurricane Andrew were determined from sediment traps, marker horizons, and benchmarks deployed for other studies. Data were collected over different time scales from 11 sites representing salt, brackish, and intermediate marshes, shallow...
Authors
Donald R. Cahoon, Denise J. Reed, J.W. Day, Gregory D. Steyer, R.M. Boumans, James F. Lynch, David McNally, Numair Latif
Disturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew
The impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Louisiana coastal landscape and the initial recovery of wetland plant communities was determined from extensive surveys of a large geographic region of coastal marsh near Atchafalaya Bay and intensive studies of an oligohaline marsh on Otter Bayou. Wind and water movements associated with the hurricane resulted in the formation of compressed marsh...
Authors
Glenn Guntenspergen, Donald R. Cahoon, James B. Grace, Gregory D. Steyer, Stephen Fournet, M. A. Townson, A. Lee Foote
Non-USGS Publications**
Steyer, G.D., Couvillion, B., Wang, H., Sleavin, B., Rybczyk, J., Trahan, N., Beck, H., Fischenich, C., Boustany, R., and Allen, Y. 2012. Landscape change and relative elevation sub-models, Appendix D-2 Wetland Morphology Model Technical Report in Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, 104 p.
Casper, Andrew F., Rebecca A. Efroymson, Steven M. Davis, Greg Steyer, and Brian Zettle, 2010, Improving Conceptual Model Development: Avoiding Underperformance Due to Project Uncertainties. ERDC TN-EMRRP-EBA-5, 7 p. The product is available online at http://libweb.erdc.usace.army.mil/Archimages/3263.PDF
Lin, Jeff P., Scott Bourne, Brady Couvillion, Jane M. Smith, Gregg Snedden, Gregory D. Steyer, and Sally L. Yost, 2010, Evaluation of a Method for Measuring Lateral Obscuration of Coastal Marsh Vegetation in Louisiana. ERDC/EL TN-10-2, 15 p. The product is available online at http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/eltn10-02.pdf
Conzelmann, C., G.D. Steyer, M. Comeaux, and K. Suir. 2009. CRMS Mapping Applications and the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API): An Alternative to the Traditional Web Form. The product is available online at http://cs.tamucc.edu/dim/docs/papers/Craig%20Conzelmann.doc
Twilley, R.R., B.R. Couvillion, I. Hossain, C. Kaiser, A.B. Owens, G.D. Steyer, and J.M. Visser. 2008. Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration Program: The Role of Ecosystem Forecasting in Evaluating Restoration Planning in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain. American Fisheries Society Symposium 64:29-46.
Steyer, G.D., A.B. Owens, and B.R. Couvillion. 2006. Data Collection Network to Support Ecosystem Forecasting for the Barataria Basin – Mississippi River Domain. Coastal Environment and Water Quality (ed. By Y.J. Xu & V.P. Singh), 431-442. Water Resources Publications, LLC, Highlands Ranch, CO 80163-0026, USA.
Steyer, G.D., R.R. Twilley and R.C. Raynie. 2006. An Integrated Monitoring Approach Using Multiple Reference Sites to Assess Sustainable Restoration in Coastal Louisiana. Pages 326 – 333 In Aguirre-Bravo, C., Pellicane, Patrick J., Burns, Denver P., and Draggan, Sidney (Eds.) Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere. 2004 September 20-24, Denver, CO. Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD, Fort Collins, CO, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 990 p.
Day, J., J. Barras, E. Clairain, J. Johnston, D. Justic, G. Kemp, J. Ko, R. Lane, W. Mitsch, G. Steyer, P. Templet, and A. Yanez-Arancibia. 2005. Implications of Global Climatic Change and Energy Cost and Availability for the Restoration of the Mississippi Delta. Ecological Engineering. 24:253-265.
Day, J., P. Templet, J. Ko, W. Mitsch, G.P. Kemp, J. Johnston, G. Steyer, J. Barras, D. Justic, E. Clairain, and R. Theriot. 2004. The Mississippi Delta: System Functioning, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Management. Pages 851-880. In: Caso, M., I. Pisanty, and E. Ezcurra (eds). Environmental Diagnosis of the Gulf of Mexico. Vol. 2. National Institute of Ecology, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
Ko, J., J. Day, J. Barras, R. Morton , J. Johnston, G. Steyer, G.P. Kemp, E. Clairain, and R. Theriot. 2004. Impacts of Oil and Gas Activities on Coastal Wetland loss in the Mississippi Delta. Pages 957-977 In: Caso, M., I. Pisanty, and E. Ezcurra (eds). Environmental Diagnosis of the Gulf of Mexico. Vol. 2. National Institute of Ecology, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
Steyer, G.D., C.E. Sasser, J.M. Visser, E.M. Swenson, J.A. Nyman, and R.C. Raynie. 2003. A Proposed Coast-wide Reference Monitoring System for Evaluating Wetland Restoration Trajectories in Louisiana. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 81:107-117.
Summers, J.K., and G.D. Steyer. 2000. A Framework for an Integrated and Comprehensive Monitoring Plan for the Estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, Florida. EPA 620-R-00-006.
Steyer, G.D. and D.W. Llewellyn. 2000. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act: A Programmatic Application of Adaptive Management. Ecological Engineering. 15: 385-395.
Johnston, J.B., J. Barras, S. Hartley, D.A. Fuller, and G. Steyer. 1998. The integration of GIS and image processing technology for monitoring wetland restoration projects. Pages 607-616 in: McComb, A.J., and J.A. Davis, editors. Wetlands for the Future: INTECOL’S V International Wetlands Conference, Perth, Australia.
Steyer, G.D., D. Fuller, and J. Barras. 1995. The integration of GIS and image processing technology with continuous and real-time data collection for monitoring wetland restoration projects. National Interagency Workshop on Wetlands, New Orleans, LA.
Cahoon, D.R., D.J. Reed, J.W. Day, Jr., G.D. Steyer, R.M. Boumans, J.C. Lynch, D. McNally, and N. Latif. 1995. The influence of Hurricane Andrew on sediment distribution in Louisiana coastal marshes. Journal of Coastal Research. SI 21: 280-294.
Guntenspergen, G.R., D.R. Cahoon, J. Grace, G.D. Steyer, S. Fournet, M.A. Townson, and A.L. Foote. 1995. Disturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew. Journal of Coastal Research. SI 21: 324-339.
Steyer, G.D., C.I. Simon, and S.G. Underwood. 1993. A resource management approach for evaluating the effectiveness of wetland restoration projects. Pages 742-745 in: Landin, M.C., editor. Wetlands: Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, LA. South Central Chapter, Society of Wetland Scientists, Utica, MS.
Stone, G.W., J.M. Grymes, III, K.D. Robbins, S.G. Underwood, G.D. Steyer, and R.A. Muller. 1993. A chronologic overview of climatological and hydrological aspects associated with Hurricane Andrew and its morphological effects along the Louisiana coast, USA. Shore and Beach. 61(2): 2-12.
Trepagnier, C.M., B. Good, G.D. Steyer, and W. B. Sutton. 1993. Evaluation of three crevasse splay marsh creation projects at the Mississippi River delta. Pages 115-119 in: Landin, M.C., editor. Wetlands: Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, LA. South Central Chapter, Society of Wetland Scientists, Utica, MS.
**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.