![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Walter G. NelsonChief, Pacific Coastal Ecology BranchVoice: 541-867-4041 |
Education:
- A.B., Duke University, Durham, NC; Zoology and Chemistry (cum laude), 1972
- Ph.D., Duke University, Durham, NC; Zoology (Oceanography minor), 1978
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce, FL, 1978-1979
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Marine Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, 1979-80
Previous Positions:
- 1989-1997: Professor, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
- 1987-1997: Director, Indian River Marine Science Research Center, Florida Institute of Technology, Vero Beach, FL
- 1985-1987: Assistant Director, IRMSRC, Vero Beach, FL
- 1984-1989: Associate Professor, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
- 1981-1984: Assistant Professor, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
- 1980-1981: Research Associate, National Research Council, USEPA, Newport, OR
Research Interests and Skills:
- Marine impacts of anthropogenic stressors, including watershed development, dredging, aquaculture, and sewage discharge
- Seagrass community ecology and habitat restoration
- Development of impact assessment metrics for marine benthos
Professional Societies:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Crustacean Society
- Ecological Society of America
- Estuarine Research Federation
- Sigma Xi
Appointments / Honors:
- College of Engineering Excellence Award for University Service, Florida Institute of Technology, 1997
- National Research Council Senior Research Fellowship, 1994
- Faculty Senate Excellence Award for Research, Florida Institute of Technology, 1994
- College of Engineering Excellence Award for Research, Florida Institute of Technology, 1994
- Visiting Professor, Akademi University, Turku, Finland, 1991
- Fulbright Fellowship, 2 months, Finland, 1988
- American Scandinavian Foundation, Carl G. and Rikke Frederiksen Barth Fund, for Study and Research in Finland, 1988
- Zupo, V., W.G. Nelson and M.C. Gambi. 2001. Measuring invertebrate grazing on seagrasses and epiphytes. In: F. Short and R. Coles, ed. Global Seagrass Research Methods. Elsevier.
- Tunberg, B. and W.G. Nelson. 1998. Do climatic oscillations influence cyclical patterns of soft bottom microbenthic communities on the Swedish west coast? Marine Ecology Progress Series 170:85-94.
- Vose, F.W. and W.G. Nelson. 1998. An assessment of the use of stabilized oil ash (SOA) for construction of artificial fishing reefs: comparisons of fish colonization on SOA reefs and concrete reefs. Marine Pollution Bulletin 36:980-988.
- Swain, G.W., W.G. Nelson, and S. Preedeekanit. 1998. The influence of biofouling adhesion and biotic disturbance on the development of fouling communities on non-toxic surfaces. Biofouling 12:257-269.
- Heidelbaugh, S.E, and W.G. Nelson. 1996. An evaluation of core and quadrat methods for assessing spatial and temporal changes in seagrass cover. Aquatic Botany 53:227-233.
- Bonsdorff, E. and W.G. Nelson. 1996. The use of macroalgae in measuring environmental impacts: limited utility of blade length measurements of Fucus vesiculosus L. Botanica Marina 39:129-132.
- Nelson, W.G., and R.W. Virnstein. 1995. Long-term dynamics of seagrass macrobenthos: Asynchronous population variability in space and time. Pages 185-190 in A. Eleftheriou, editor. Proceedings of the 28th European Marine Biology Symposium. Olsen and Olsen, Fredensborg, Denmark.
- Nelson, W.G. 1995. Amphipod crustaceans of the Indian River Lagoon: Current status and threats to biodiversity. Bulletin of Marine Science 57:143-152.
- Nelson, W.G., and R.W. Virnstein. 1995. Long-term dynamics of seagrass macrobenthos: Asynchronous population variability in space and time. Pages 185-190 in A. Eleftheriou, editor. Proceedings of the 28th European Marine Biology Symposium. Olsen and Olsen, Fredensborg, Denmark.
- Kensley, B., and W.G. Nelson, and M. Schotte. 1995. Marine isopod biodiversity of the Indian River, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science 57:136-142.
- Nelson, W.G., D.M. Savercool, T. Neth, and J.L. Rodda. 1994. Comparative development of the fouling communities on stabilized oil-ash versus concrete reefs. Bulletin of Marine Science 55:1303-1315.
- Tunberg, B.G., and W.G. Nelson. 1994. Population ecology of Pagurus maclaughlinae Garcia-Gomez (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Journal of Crustacean Biology 14:686-699.
- Vose, F.E. and W.G. Nelson. 1994. Gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus Gmelin) feeding from artificial and natural substrate in shallow Atlantic waters of Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science 55:1316-1325.
- Nelson, W.G., E. Bonsdorff, and L. Adamkevicz. 1993. Ecological, morphological and genetic differences between the sympatric bivalves Donax variabilis Say 1822 and Donax parvula Philippi 1849. The Veliger 36:317-322.
- Nelson, W.G. 1993. Beach-inlet ecosystems of southeastern Florida: A review of ecological research needs and management issues. Journal of Coastal Research (Special Issue) 18:257-266.
- Hamilton, K.L., W.G. Nelson, and J.L. Curley. 1993. Toxicological evaluation of the effects of waste-to-energy ash-concrete on two marine species. Ecological Toxicology and Chemistry 12:1919-1930.
- Mojica, R., Jr., and W.G. Nelson. 1993. Environmental effects of a hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) aquaculture site in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Aquaculture 113:313-329.
- Bonsdorff, E. and W.G. Nelson. 1992. Some observations on the ecology of the coquina clams Donax variabilis Say 1822 and Donax parvula Philippi 1849 on the east coast of Florida. The Veliger 35:358-365.
- Nelson, W.G. 1992. Beach restoration in the south-eastern United States: Environmental effects and biological monitoring. Ocean and Coastal Management. 18:1-26.
- Nelson, W.G. and L. Demetriades. 1992. Peracarid crustaceans associated with sabellariid (Phragmatapoma lapidosa Kinberg) worm rock at Sebastian Inlet, Florida. J. Crustacean Biol. 12:647-654.
- Nelson, W.G., D. Charvat, and T. Allenbaugh. 1990. Community dynamics of surf zone amphipod assemblages from the central Florida East Coast. J. Crustacean Biol. 10:446-454.
- Nelson, W.G. 1990. Prospects for development of an index of biotic integrity for evaluating habitat degradation in estuarine and coastal systems. Chemistry and Ecology 4:197-210.
- Nelson, W.G. and E. Bonsdorff. 1990. Fish predation and habitat complexity: Are complexity thresholds real? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 141:183-194.
- Nelson, W.G. and M.A. Capone. 1990. Experimental studies of predation on polychaetes associated with seagrass beds. Estuaries 13:51-58.
- Nelson, W.G., P.M. Navratil, D.M. Savercool, and F.E. Vose. 1988. Short-term effects of stabilized oil ash reefs on the marine benthos. Marine Pollution Bulletin 19:623-627.
- Lowery, W. and W.G. Nelson. 1988. Aspects of the biology of the hermit crab Clibinarius vittatus at Sebastian Inlet, Florida. Journal of Crustacean Biology 8:548-556.
- Rönn, C., E. Bonsdorff,. and W.G. Nelson. 1988. Predation as a mechanism of interference within infauna in shallow brackish water soft-bottoms: Experiments with an infaunal predator, Nereis diversicolor O. F. Muller. J. Exp. Marine Biology & Ecol. 116:143-157.
- Main, M.B. and W.G. Nelson. 1988. Tolerance of the sabellariid polychaete Phragmatopoma lapidosa Kinberg to burial, turbidity and hydrogen sulfide. Marine Environmental. Research 26:39-55.