I am a coastal wetland ecosystem/landscape ecologist with broad interests that generally focus around understanding how climate change and anthropogenic forces are affecting coastal wetland ecosystems. I recently completed my PhD at Florida International University (2017-2024) under the supervision of Dr. Tiffany Troxler where I used field-based and remote-sensing based methods to evaluate coastal marsh loss across the Florida Everglades. More specifically, my dissertation sought to expand understanding of rapid elevation losses (e.g. peat collapse) in non-tidal and tidal brackish peat marshes that have been or are experiencing salinization. While my dissertation focused on coastal peat marshes, I also spent significant time conducting field-based research in mangrove forests related to blue carbon fluxes and beyond as part of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research Network. I was also frequently involved in science communication endeavors that included speaking events and blogging across various topics, but mainly with respect to educating the public and policymakers about the need for continued progress on Everglades restoration initiatives.

 

Previously, I received my BS in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and minors in Chemistry and Anthropology from the University of Maine (2012-2016). My interest in wetlands stems from a summer undergraduate research experience investigating decomposition rates in vernal pools along an urban-to-rural gradient in Maine, USA. During my undergrad I also worked for a fish ecology lab (Kinnison Lab) and paleoecology lab (BEAST Lab). 

 

For my post-doctoral research I will be developing field-based projects related to blue carbon fluxes in mangrove forests. My goal is to develop scalable approaches to better understand spatial and temporal variability of carbon fluxes and how these fluxes may change across gradients of ecosystem development and loss.

 

Publications

Lamb-Wotton, L, Troxler, T. G., Coronado-Molina, C., Davis, S. E., Gann, D., Ishtiaq, K. S., Malone, S. L.,Olivas, P. Rudnick, D. T., Sklar, F. H. (Accepted). Evaluating hydrogeomorphic condition across ecosystem states in a non-tidal, brackish peat marsh of the Florida coastal Everglades, USA. Estuaries and Coasts, 2024.

Harris, B., Lamb-Wotton, L., Cadigan, J., Alawneh, O., Jafari, N., Troxler, T., Sklar, F., and Coronado, C. Comparison of Coastal Marsh Belowground Root Biomass and Shear Strength in Louisiana and Everglades National Park. In Coastal Sediments 2023: The Proceedings of the Coastal Sediments 2023, pp. 811-823. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811275135_0075

Feher, C. Laura; Osland, M. J.; Whelan, K. R. T.; Coronado-Molina, C.; Sklar, F. H.; Krauss, K. W.; Howard, R. J.; Cahoon, D. R.; Lynch, J. C.; McKee, K. L.; Lamb-Wotton, L.; Troxler, T. G.; Conrad, J. R.; Anderson, G. H.; Vervaeke, W. C.; Smith III, T. J. S.; Cormier, N.; From, A. S.; and Allain L. Soil elevation change in mangrove forests and marshes of the Greater Everglades: a regional synthesis of surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) data. Estuaries and Coasts, 2022, pp 1 - 30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-022-01141-2

Lamb, M. L; Gann, D.; *Velazquez, J.T.; Troxler, T.G. Detecting vegetation to open water transitions in a subtropical wetland landscape from historical panchromatic aerial photography and multispectral satellite imagery. Remote Sensing, 2022, 14, 3976. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14163976

Ishtiaq, S. Khandker; Troxler, T.G.; Lamb-Wotton, L.; Wilson, B.J.; Charles, S.P.; Davis, S.E.; Kominoski, J.S.; Rudnick, D.T.; and Sklar, F.H. Modeling net ecosystem carbon balance and loss in coastal wetlands exposed to sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion. Ecological Applications. 2022, pp. e2702. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2702

Hogan, J. Aaron; Castaneda-Moya, E.; Lamb-Wotton, L.; Troxler, T.; Baraloto C. Water levels primarily drive variation in photosynthesis and nutrient use of scrub Red Mangroves in the southeastern Florida Everglades. Tree Physiology. 2021, 42(4), pp. 797-814. https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpab151

Castañeda-Moya, Edward.; Rivera-Monroy, V.H.; Chambers, R.M.; Zhao, X.; Lamb-Wotton, L.; Gorsky, A.; Gaiser, E.E.; Troxler, T.G.; Kominoski, J.S.; and Hiatt, M. Hurricanes fertilize mangrove forests in the Gulf of Mexico (Florida Everglades, USA). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020, 117(9), pp.4831-4841. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1908597117