A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
Nicholas M Enwright, Ph.D.
Nicholas Enwright is a Research Geographer at U.S. Geological Survey's Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.
He received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2019. Nicholas uses applied coastal geography research to understand how the spatial distribution and patterns of environments, such as barrier islands and coastal wetlands, are changing through time. His research program aims to further science related to natural resource assessments, restoration planning, and monitoring by: (1) developing new data using remote sensing techniques; (2) advancing methodologies for geospatial studies; (3) analyzing spatial data using geographic information science (GIS); and (4) forecasting potential future landscapes using geocomputational modeling. Currently, Nicholas' research team is working on projects that span the northern Gulf of Mexico coast and the Atlantic Seaboard.
Professional Experience
Research Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 2022 to present
Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 2013 to 2022
Geographic Information Specialist II, Five Rivers Services/IAP Worldwide Services, contracted to support the U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center Lafayette, LA, 2010 to 2013
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., 2019, Louisiana State University, Major: Geography and Anthropology; research emphasis: barrier island habitat mapping and modeling
M.S., 2010, University of North Texas, Major: Applied Geography; research emphasis: geospatial analysis of wetlands
Certificate in Geographic Information Systems, 2008, University of North Texas
B.S., 2007, University of North Texas, Major: Geography
Science and Products
Characterizing the Barrier Island Geomorphic State: Indicators of Resistance vs. Resilience
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Program-Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration: North Breton Island Component-Monitoring and Adaptive Management
Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models
Puget Sound Marine Benthic Index and Graphical Causal Model
A Tool for Rapid-Repeat High-Resolution Coastal Vegetation Maps to Improve Forecasting of Hurricane Impacts and Coastal Resilience
Barriers and Opportunities for Landward Migration of Coastal Wetlands along Texas' Upper and Middle Coast
Understanding Ecosystem Response and Infrastructure Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise for Several National Parks and Preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region
Mapping Avian Habitat for the Gulf Coast Joint Venture
Coast Train: Massive Library of Labeled Coastal Images to Train Machine Learning for Coastal Hazards and Resources
Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Mapping High Marsh along the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Monitoring and Assessment Program Development
Information supporting a cumulative effects assessment of restoration in barrier island and shoreline systems of the north central Gulf of Mexico
Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program – 1996-2005 general habitat maps, West Chenier Plain, Early Lafourche Delta, Late Lafourche Delta, Modern Delta, Chandeleur Islands Regions
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, Whiskey Island
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, Shell Island
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, Chenier Ronquille
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2017 habitat map, Chenier Ronquille
Estuarine vegetated wetland change scenarios for estuaries in the conterminous United States, 1996–2019
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, North Breton Island
Wetland vegetation and elevation survey within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville, Florida, 2021–2022
Mangrove damage along northern Gulf of Mexico from extreme freeze event on February 2021
Potential Sea Turtle Nesting Areas for Cat and Ship Island, Mississippi for various years from 1998 to 2016
Vegetation greenness observations by dune crest elevation, East and West Ship Island, Mississippi 2008-2009
Delineation of marsh types from Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, to Perdido Bay, Alabama, in 2010
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A panoramic view on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A panoramic view on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
Mapping high marsh and salt pannes/flats along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast
An introduction to the evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Mapping habitats and shorelines pre-, during, and post-restoration on Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana, 2012–2020
Conclusions of evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana
Observing coastal wetland transitions using national land cover products
Integrating remote sensing with ground-based observations to quantify the effects of an extreme freeze event on black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) at the landscape scale
Rapidly changing range limits in a warming world: Critical data limitations and knowledge gaps for advancing understanding of mangrove range dynamics in the southeastern USA
Fusing geophysical and remotely sensed data for observing overwash occurrence, frequency, and impact
Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems
A 1.2 billion pixel human-labeled dataset for data-driven classification of coastal environments
Elevation-based probabilistic mapping of irregularly flooded wetlands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast
Lacunarity as a tool for assessing landscape configuration over time and informing long-term monitoring: An example using seagrass
Science and Products
Characterizing the Barrier Island Geomorphic State: Indicators of Resistance vs. Resilience
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Program-Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration: North Breton Island Component-Monitoring and Adaptive Management
Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models
Puget Sound Marine Benthic Index and Graphical Causal Model
A Tool for Rapid-Repeat High-Resolution Coastal Vegetation Maps to Improve Forecasting of Hurricane Impacts and Coastal Resilience
Barriers and Opportunities for Landward Migration of Coastal Wetlands along Texas' Upper and Middle Coast
Understanding Ecosystem Response and Infrastructure Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise for Several National Parks and Preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region
Mapping Avian Habitat for the Gulf Coast Joint Venture
Coast Train: Massive Library of Labeled Coastal Images to Train Machine Learning for Coastal Hazards and Resources
Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Mapping High Marsh along the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Monitoring and Assessment Program Development
Information supporting a cumulative effects assessment of restoration in barrier island and shoreline systems of the north central Gulf of Mexico
Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program – 1996-2005 general habitat maps, West Chenier Plain, Early Lafourche Delta, Late Lafourche Delta, Modern Delta, Chandeleur Islands Regions
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, Whiskey Island
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, Shell Island
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, Chenier Ronquille
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2017 habitat map, Chenier Ronquille
Estuarine vegetated wetland change scenarios for estuaries in the conterminous United States, 1996–2019
Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project – 2022 habitat map, North Breton Island
Wetland vegetation and elevation survey within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville, Florida, 2021–2022
Mangrove damage along northern Gulf of Mexico from extreme freeze event on February 2021
Potential Sea Turtle Nesting Areas for Cat and Ship Island, Mississippi for various years from 1998 to 2016
Vegetation greenness observations by dune crest elevation, East and West Ship Island, Mississippi 2008-2009
Delineation of marsh types from Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, to Perdido Bay, Alabama, in 2010
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A panoramic view on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A panoramic view on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.