To adapt to rising sea levels, coastal wetlands can migrate landward at the expense of adjacent freshwater wetlands and upland ecosystems, but migration can be hindered by natural and anthropogenic barriers. This photo shows marsh migration constrained by topographic and urban barriers in southern California.
Karen Thorne, Ph.D.
Dr. Karen Thorne is a Research Ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center,
Her research focus is on climate change impacts to coastal ecosystems. In particular, her work has included assessing sea-level rise and storm impacts to coastal ecosystems, wetland ecology, restoration, and blue carbon. She received her Ph.D. and MS from the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Thorne's interests lie in conservation and management issues surrounding climate-related research that assess changes to ecosystems. Her current focus is assessing how sea-level rise and storms impact tidal wetland ecosystems in the U.S. and island habitats. She conducts research to inform climate adaptation and planning to help managers mitigate impacts and conduct restoration. Her research is based on field data collection methods that can be developed into climate change impact models using ArcGIS and other remote sensing tools.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Global Change Biology
- Coastal Ecosystems
- Wetland Ecology
- Restoration
- Threatened & Endangered Species
- Blue Carbon
- Landscape Ecology
- Ecological Response Modeling
- Storm Monitoring
- Sea-level Rise Planning & Decision Support
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis Field Station, 2012 - present
Biologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, 2005 to 2012
Research Associate, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fairbanks, AK, 2002 to 2005
Education and Certifications
PhD, Geography, Global Change, University of California, Davis, 2012
MSc, Geography, Environmental Studies, University of California, Davis, 2008
BS, Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis 2000
Affiliations and Memberships*
California Landscape Conservation Cooperative Science Team
Science and Products
Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: Understanding Ecological Thresholds and Ecosystem Transformations
Habitat Vulnerability to Climate Change: Identifying Climate Change Induced Mass Mortality Events Across Large Landscapes of the United States
Developing a Pacific Mangrove Monitoring Network (PACMAN) in Response to Sea Level Rise
Wetland Carbon Working Group: Improving Methodologies and Estimates of Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Flux in Wetlands
Sea-level Rise Vulnerability of Mangrove Forests in Micronesia and the Pacific
The Response of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-level Rise: Understanding how Macroscale Drivers Influence Local Processes and Feedbacks
The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise: Understanding how macroscale drivers influence local processes and feedbacks
The Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Coral Reef and Mangrove Interactions and the Resulting Coastal Flooding Hazards
Science to Inform the Management of Mangrove Ecosystems Undergoing Sea Level Rise at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida
Webinar: Sea-Level Rise, El Niño, and Storm Effects on Coastal Tidal Marshes
Using Drone Imagery to Assess Impacts of the 2018 Carr Fire
The Future Resiliency of Mangrove Forests to Sea-Level Rise in the Western Pacific: Initiating a National Assessment Approach
Surface Elevation Table and Marker Horizon Measurements Along the Pacific Coast
Waterfowl Brood Drone Surveys from Suisun, California 2019
UAS Whiskeytown
Soil Characteristics and Accretion Rates in Mangrove Forests across Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Marsh Vegetation Surveys Across the San Francisco Bay Estuary, 2008-2018
Estuarine vegetated wetland change scenarios for estuaries in the conterminous United States, 1996–2019
Data Describing Site Characteristics Including Conifer Regeneration Following the 2018 Carr Fire in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Sediment deposition and accretion data from a tidal salt marsh in South San Francisco Bay, California 2021-2022
Elevation and Mangrove Cover Projections under Sea-Level Rise Scenarios at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida, 2020-2100
Bias-Corrected Topobathymetric Elevation Model for South Florida, 2018
Potential landward migration of coastal wetlands in response to sea-level rise within estuarine drainage areas and coastal states of the conterminous United States
Estuarine drainage area boundaries for the conterminous United States
To adapt to rising sea levels, coastal wetlands can migrate landward at the expense of adjacent freshwater wetlands and upland ecosystems, but migration can be hindered by natural and anthropogenic barriers. This photo shows marsh migration constrained by topographic and urban barriers in southern California.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
Surveying waterfowl broods in wetlands using aerial drones
When and where can coastal wetland restoration increase carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution?
Projecting mangrove forest resilience to sea-level rise on a Pacific Island: Species dynamics and ecological thresholds
Bay Miwok evening primrose: A new subspecies of Oenothera deltoides (Onagraceae) endemic to California
Learning from a high-severity fire event—Conditions following the 2018 Carr Fire at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Rising seas could cross thresholds for initiating coastal wetland drowning within decades across much of the United States
A comparison of eDNA sampling methods in an estuarine environment on presence of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) and fish community composition
Application of lidar to assess the habitat selection of an endangered small mammal in an estuarine wetland environment
Understanding marsh elevation and accretion processes and vulnerability to rising sea levels across climatic and geomorphic gradients in California, USA
Stress gradients structure spatial variability in coastal tidal marsh plant composition and diversity in a major Pacific coast estuary
Observing coastal wetland transitions using national land cover products
Foundations of modeling resilience of tidal saline wetlands to sea-level rise along the U.S. Pacific Coast
Science and Products
Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: Understanding Ecological Thresholds and Ecosystem Transformations
Habitat Vulnerability to Climate Change: Identifying Climate Change Induced Mass Mortality Events Across Large Landscapes of the United States
Developing a Pacific Mangrove Monitoring Network (PACMAN) in Response to Sea Level Rise
Wetland Carbon Working Group: Improving Methodologies and Estimates of Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Flux in Wetlands
Sea-level Rise Vulnerability of Mangrove Forests in Micronesia and the Pacific
The Response of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-level Rise: Understanding how Macroscale Drivers Influence Local Processes and Feedbacks
The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise: Understanding how macroscale drivers influence local processes and feedbacks
The Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Coral Reef and Mangrove Interactions and the Resulting Coastal Flooding Hazards
Science to Inform the Management of Mangrove Ecosystems Undergoing Sea Level Rise at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida
Webinar: Sea-Level Rise, El Niño, and Storm Effects on Coastal Tidal Marshes
Using Drone Imagery to Assess Impacts of the 2018 Carr Fire
The Future Resiliency of Mangrove Forests to Sea-Level Rise in the Western Pacific: Initiating a National Assessment Approach
Surface Elevation Table and Marker Horizon Measurements Along the Pacific Coast
Waterfowl Brood Drone Surveys from Suisun, California 2019
UAS Whiskeytown
Soil Characteristics and Accretion Rates in Mangrove Forests across Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Marsh Vegetation Surveys Across the San Francisco Bay Estuary, 2008-2018
Estuarine vegetated wetland change scenarios for estuaries in the conterminous United States, 1996–2019
Data Describing Site Characteristics Including Conifer Regeneration Following the 2018 Carr Fire in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Sediment deposition and accretion data from a tidal salt marsh in South San Francisco Bay, California 2021-2022
Elevation and Mangrove Cover Projections under Sea-Level Rise Scenarios at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida, 2020-2100
Bias-Corrected Topobathymetric Elevation Model for South Florida, 2018
Potential landward migration of coastal wetlands in response to sea-level rise within estuarine drainage areas and coastal states of the conterminous United States
Estuarine drainage area boundaries for the conterminous United States
To adapt to rising sea levels, coastal wetlands can migrate landward at the expense of adjacent freshwater wetlands and upland ecosystems, but migration can be hindered by natural and anthropogenic barriers. This photo shows marsh migration constrained by topographic and urban barriers in southern California.
To adapt to rising sea levels, coastal wetlands can migrate landward at the expense of adjacent freshwater wetlands and upland ecosystems, but migration can be hindered by natural and anthropogenic barriers. This photo shows marsh migration constrained by topographic and urban barriers in southern California.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.

How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
How will sea level rise impact coastal ecosystems like salt marshes? Will plant species change and shift available habitat for local wildlife? Or will the marsh be completely inundated? USGS scientists are conducting extensive elevation and habitat surveys along the U.S. Pacific Coast, and using the data to model sea level rise impact for the next 100 years.
Surveying waterfowl broods in wetlands using aerial drones
When and where can coastal wetland restoration increase carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution?
Projecting mangrove forest resilience to sea-level rise on a Pacific Island: Species dynamics and ecological thresholds
Bay Miwok evening primrose: A new subspecies of Oenothera deltoides (Onagraceae) endemic to California
Learning from a high-severity fire event—Conditions following the 2018 Carr Fire at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Rising seas could cross thresholds for initiating coastal wetland drowning within decades across much of the United States
A comparison of eDNA sampling methods in an estuarine environment on presence of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) and fish community composition
Application of lidar to assess the habitat selection of an endangered small mammal in an estuarine wetland environment
Understanding marsh elevation and accretion processes and vulnerability to rising sea levels across climatic and geomorphic gradients in California, USA
Stress gradients structure spatial variability in coastal tidal marsh plant composition and diversity in a major Pacific coast estuary
Observing coastal wetland transitions using national land cover products
Foundations of modeling resilience of tidal saline wetlands to sea-level rise along the U.S. Pacific Coast
*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