Co-author Network
Map of Science
Co-investigator Network
overview
- Marine ecology, conservation, restoration ecology, coastal management
Positions
- Associate Professor, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
- Contact Info
Rachel Kelley Gittman
Overview
Affiliation
member of
- Sigma Xi 2018 - 2023
- American Insitute for Biology Sciences 2015 - 2023
- American Shore and Beach Preservation Association 2019
- American Fisheries Society 2017 - 2018
- Divers Alert Network 2012 - 2018
- Southeastern Estuarine Research Society 2017
- Society for Conservation Biology 2016
- Ecological Society of America 2013
- Coastal Estuarine Research Federation 2012
- American Academy of Underwater Sciences 2012
- Phi Beta Kappa 2005
Publications
selected publications
presentations
-
presentation
-
Crabs without borders: Detection of the Green Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes armatus in mid-coast North Carolina
, Pine Knoll Shores Living Shorelines Symposium -
Evaluating the effects of rising sea levels on nature-based approaches for intertidal oyster restoration
, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference -
North Carolina Coastal Fish Habitats: Findings & Recommendations
, Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Steering Committee -
Shifting coastal landuse and impacts to nearshore habitats
, State of the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Workshop -
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME: PARASITES AS BIODIVERSITY SURROGATES FOR HABITAT RESTORATION
, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society / Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Spring Conference -
Assessing the ecological and societal benefits and tradeoffs of oyster breakwaters
, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference -
Ecological recruitment drives wave attenuation improvement in oyster-based living shorelines
, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference -
Evaluating the ecosystem benefits and tradeoffs of oyster breakwaters for commercially and recreationally valuable species
, Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting -
Evaluating uncertainty in drone-based shoreline and elevation monitoring for living shorelines
, American Geophysical Union Meeting -
Caribbean creeping crabs: Implications of the continued spread of the Green Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes armatus up the southeast coast
, Gulf and South Atlantic Regional Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species -
Climate-driven expansion of Petrolisthes armatus: population trends, reproduction, and parasitism
, International Conference on Marine Biological Invasions -
Coastside Chat: Temporal Perspectives: Designing NbS forToday and Tomorrow
, National Forum on Nature-Based Solutions -
Examining population trends and parasitism along the expanded range of Petrolisthes armatus in the southeastern U.S.
, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society and Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Joint Conference -
High-Resolution Seascape Mapping Across Three Living Shoreline Designs Using Drone-Based OBIA and RTK-GNSS
, American Geophysical Union Meeting -
Manipulating Microbiome-Smooth Cordgrass Associations to Promote Coastal Wetland Restoration
, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference -
Micromanaging salt marsh restoration: Enhancing plant-microbe associations throughsaltwater exposure and microbial inoculation
, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference -
Molecules to migration: eDNA-based detection of river herring in a dynamic coastal river system
, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference -
Roles of Mesograzer Diversity and Abundance in Seagrass Beds of Bogue Sound and the Straits
, GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Symposium -
Seagrass saviors? The possibility of parasitic trematodes indirectly affecting seagrass ecosystem structure and functioning through snail host manipulation
, Benthic Ecology Meeting -
Stressor effects on plant-microbe associations: consequences for wetland carbon storage and restoration
, Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting - A quarter century of living shoreline research on the North Carolina coast and future directions., Restore America's Estuaries
- Assessing coastal protection benefits and tradeoffs of engineered oyster reefs using UAS-SFM. , North Carolina Sea Grant federal site review
- Evaluating the influence of oyster breakwaters on local ecosystems and geomorphology., Benthic Ecology Meeting
- Perceptions of salt marsh in the residential landscape., North Carolina Coastal Conference
- Perceptions of salt marsh in the residential landscape. , Restore America's Estuaries
- Utilizing UAS-SfM to assess the erosion control properties of a novel breakwater substrate., American Geophysical Union annual meeting
- Wave transformation across natural and restored oyster reefs., NC Coastal Reserve Research Symposium
- Evaluating plant-microbe associations in response to environmental stressors to enhance wetland restoration, East Carolina University Research and Creative Achievement Week
- Evaluating socio-ecological functions provided by novel, nature-based coastal protection approaches, Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technologies (COMIT)
- Evaluating the Impacts of Hazard Adaptation Decision-making on Coastal Communities and Ecosystems, Restore America's Estuaries Summit
- Evaluating the coastal protection and ecological co-benefits of novel marsh-oyster restoration approaches, University of South Alabama Seminar Series
- Evaluating the coastal protection and ecological co-benefits of novel marsh-oyster restoration approaches, USCRP Webinar
- Incorporating ecological principles and community needs into coastal restoration and engineering approaches, Department of Environment, Ecology, and Energy, UNC Chapel Hill
- Incorporating ecological principles into coastal restoration and engineering approaches, University of Chicago
- Nature-based solutions for coasts in a changing climate, Vulnerable Coastlines in an Era of Climate Emergencies
- Predicting outcomes of bivalve-seagrass interactions in shallow estuaries., Benthic Ecology Meeting
- Resilient Communities and Economies: Nature-based options for coastal resilience, North Carolina Sea Grant federal site review
- Wave attenuation performance of constructed oyster breakwaters across varying levels of oyster colonization, Coastal and Estuarine Summit hosted by American Shore and Beach Preservation Society
- Geesin, M.E., Sirianni, H., Gittman, R.K. 2024. Evaluating the influence of biodegradable oyster breakwaters on local ecosystems and geomorphology. (poster)., NC Coastal Reserve Research Symposium
- Biodiversity and habitat complexity as indicators of community assembly following oyster reef restoration. , North Carolina Coastal Conference
- Biodiversity and habitat complexity as indicators of community assembly following oyster reef restoration., Benthic Ecology Meeting
- Are we engineering away our natural defenses along North Carolina's coast?, Invited, Geography Colloquium
- Assessing faunal community composition in newly restored seagrass beds across an elevation gradient, CERF
- Assessing faunal community composition in newly restored seagrass beds across an elevation gradient, Benthic Ecology Meeting
- Assessing the habitat value of novel breakwater substrates for estuarine fauna., Coastal Estuarine Research Federation
- Assessing the resilience of coastal protection to multiple storm events in North Carolina, AERS-SEERS Joint Virtual Meeting
- Attenuation of boat-wake energy and habitat creation using novel living shoreline approach., AERS-SEERS Joint Virtual Meeting
- Borrowing ecological principles: Influence of Substrate Orientation on Free-Living and Parasite Diversity, Tidewater AFS
- Borrowing ecological principles: Influence of Substrate Orientation on Free-Living and Parasite Diversity, CERF
- Borrowing ecological principles:Effect of substrate orientation and complexity on reef formation., AERS-SEERS Joint Virtual Meeting
- Bypassing pre-and post-settlement bottlenecks of foundation species across estuarine environmental gradients via mobile substrates, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference
- Coastal Stressor Effects on Sediment and Salt Marsh Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) Root-Associated Microbiomes, East Carolina University Research and Creative Achievement Week
- Comparing abilities of alternative substrates to halt salt marsh erosion and support oyster reef development, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference
- Comparing abilities of alternative substrates to halt salt marsh erosion and support oyster reef development., Restore America's Estuaries Coastal and Estuarine Virtual Summit
- Enhancing resilience through coastal restoration, Coastal Science Symposium
- Evaluating how foundation species diversity affects the community composition of seagrass meadows, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference
- Evaluating how foundation species diversity affects the community composition of seagrass meadows., Restore America's Estuaries National Coastal & Estuarine Summit
- Evaluating plant-microbe associations in response to environmental stressors to enhance wetland restoration, Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting
- Evaluating shoreline resilience to major storm events, Restore America's Estuaries Living Shoreline Technology Transfer Workshop
- Evaluating the influence of sediment microbial community composition and salinity on smooth cordgrass (Sporabolus alterniflorus), Coastal Estuarine Research Federation
- Gradients in Success: the impact of wave energy and predation on oyster restoration success, Benthic Ecology Meeting
- How Can Nature-Based Approaches Be Used to Restore Resilience along Developed Coastlines?, CERF
- Incorporating EFH into Fisheries Management: A Case Study of Atlantic Cod in the Gulf of Maine, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting
- Living shorelines, Coastal Resiliency of Living Shorelines, Congressional Briefing
- Living shorelines: An adaptive management approach to promote climate-resilience?, Restore America's Estuaries Coastal and Estuarine Virtual Summit
- Living shorelines: Are we designing functional, sustainable, and resilient coasts?", Invited Seminar, University of Virginia
- Nature-based solutions, NC EcoTech Coastal Resilience Visioning Session, University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus Remediation in Mesocosm Floating Treatment Wetlands receiving Municipal and Aquacultural Wastewater, North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute Conference
- North Carolina estuaries, Edges of Our Estuaries Workshop
- Predicting outcomes of bivalve-seagrass interactions across an exposure gradient., Coastal Estuarine Research Federation
- Preference for hardened shorelines outweighs environmental values and impedes conservation and restoration of coastal habitats., Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference
- Quantifying ecological function & resilience of coastal protection approaches, NC ACE
- Resilience of Shoreline Protection Methods to Hurricane Florence, NSF Coasts and People Hurricon
- Surface area and depth drive pinfish habitat choice in North Carolina seagrass meadows., Benthic Ecology Meeting
- Voluntary restoration: mitigation's partner in the quest to outpace coastal wetland loss in the USA, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference
-
Research
principal investigator on
- Collaborative Research: Understanding the eco-evolutionary mechanisms underlying colonization potential in a tropical seagrass species awarded by NSF - Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) 2026 - 2029
- Evaluating impacts of living shorelines on estuarine habitat functions awarded by North Carolina Coastal Federation 2024 - 2027
- Evaluating impacts of living shorelines on estuarine habitat functions: Cedar Island project awarded by North Carolina Coastal Federation 2025 - 2027
- Evaluating the influence of sediment microbial community composition and salinity on smooth cordgrass (Sporabolus alterniflorus) seedling survival and growth awarded by North Carolina State University (NCSU) 2024 - 2027
- Co-developing a community and data-driven framework for coastal protection decision making awarded by North Carolina State University (NCSU) 2023 - 2026
- Do living shorelines maintain connectivity and habitat function in intertidal landscapes? awarded by University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNCCH) 2024 - 2026
- A study of the marine fisheries and coastal habitats regulated by North Carolina: Year 3 awarded by North Carolina Policy Collaboratory 2024 - 2025
- Evaluating the coastal protection and ecological co-benefits of novel marsh-oyster restoration approaches awarded by DOD - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 2021 - 2025
- Evaluating ecosystem benefits and tradeoffs of living shoreline materials awarded by North Carolina State University (NCSU) 2022 - 2024
- Oyster Reef Sweet Spots: Evaluating oyster reef restoration locations and configurations for optimizing ecological success and coastal defense performance awarded by North Carolina Policy Collaboratory 2022 - 2023
- Assessing Faunal Community Composition in Newly Restored Seagrass Beds Across a Depth Gradient awarded by North Carolina State University (NCSU) 2021 - 2022
- Testing novel substrates and approaches to improve oyster and salt marsh restoration success awarded by North Carolina State University (NCSU) 2020 - 2022
- Evaluating the current productivity and suitability of North Carolina's designated estuarine nursery areas awarded by NCDENR Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) 2020 - 2021
- Oyster reef restoration in Back Sound, Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort, North Carolina, NFHP awarded by National Fish Habitat Partnership 2018 - 2021
- Phase 2: Oyster reef restoration in Back Sound, Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort, North Carolina awarded by University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNCCH) 2019 - 2020
- Evaluation of the Resilience of Living Shorelines and Coastal Residents to Hurricane Dorian awarded by Consolidated Safety Services, Inc. (CSS) 2019 - 2020
- RAPID Evaluation of the Resilience of Shoreline Protection Methods to Hurricane Florence awarded by University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) 2019 - 2020
- Quantifying the geomorphic, ecological, and socioeconomic impacts of shoreline management strategies: a multi-disciplinary approach awarded by University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) 2019 - 2020
- Enhancing seagrass bed restoration via inter- and intraspecific facilitation awarded by Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) 2018 - 2020
- Comparing the effectiveness of alternative substrates (Oyster catcher vs. Oyster shell bags) at promoting oyster reef development and preventing saltmarsh erosion (matching funds) awarded by North Carolina Policy Collaboratory 2018 - 2019
- Oyster reef restoration in Back Sound, Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort, North Carolina awarded by Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) 2018 - 2019
- Evaluating the ability of bivalve facilitation to enhance seagrass bed restoration awarded by North Carolina Sea Grant 2018 - 2019
- Developing design criteria and novel monitoring approaches for oyster restoration to improve water quality and enhance estuarine habitat value awarded by ECU Natural Resources and the Environment Research Cluster 2018 - 2019
- Comparing the effectiveness of alternative substrates (Oyster catcher vs. Oyster shell bags) at promoting oyster reef development and preventing saltmarsh erosion awarded by North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) 2017 - 2018
- Review of the ecological effects of shoreline hardening awarded by The Pew Charitable Trusts 2015
co-principal investigator on
investigator on
Service
professional service activities
- NSF Reviewed proposals for NSF and served on the panel. 2025
- People and Nature 1 manuscript review 2025
-
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability
Invited:https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ocean-sustainability/editors
Participated in meeting to define scope of the journal.
Have continued to refine the scope of the journal with annaul meetings. 2022 - 2025 - Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program Living Shoreline Steering Committee Research Lead, meet quarterly for 3 hour meetings. 2018 - 2025
- Ecological Applications 1 manuscript review 2025
- Ecosphere 1 manuscript review 2025
- WHOI Sea Grant Reviewed proposals and served on panel for MS-AL Sea Grant 2025
- SNAPP Working Group Reviewed proposals for the Science for Nature and People Partnership. 2024
- Special Issue Guest Editor, Estuaries and Coasts Invited, Living Shoreline Special Issue:https://link.springer.com/collections/ehhbdejhfi 2022 - 2024
- Special Issue Guest Editor, Frontiers in Climate Invited, Climate, Ecology, and People Special Issue 2022 - 2024
- Frontiers in Ecology and Environment 1 manuscript review 2024
- GULF RESTORE Council 1 proposal review 2024
- NOAA Technical Review 1 manuscript review for NOAA prior to submission to a journal 2024
- Nature Scientific Reports 1 manuscript review 2024
- Leadership Team, North Carolina Salt Marsh Steering Committee Invited, meet monthly, 1-hour meetings, plus outside review of guidance documents and committee plans. 2023
- Nature Communications 1 manuscript review 2023
- Pew Charitable Trusts Living Shorelines Expert Consultant Invited to particpate in workshops, meetings, and provide technical reviews 2015 - 2023
- Graduate Women in Science Reviewed proposal for Graduate Women in Science program 2023
- North Carolina Nutrient Criteria Development Plan Scientific Advisory Council Appointed by NC DEQ. 2019 - 2023
- GULF RESTORE Reviewed proposal for GULF RESTORE program 2022
- Washington Sea Grant Reviewed proposal for Washington Sea Grant program 2022
-
Associate Editor, Estuaries and Coasts
Served as Associate Editor for 13 manuscripts in 2024 - 2025.
Served as Associate Editor for 8 manuscripts in 2025 -2026. 2022 - The Nature Conservancy Consulting for a manuscript 2021 - 2022
- Frontiers in Marine Science 1 manuscript review 2022
- Technical Advisory Committee, Reef Design Innovations for Living Shorelines, San Francisco State University 2020 - 2022
- Journal of Applied Ecology 1 manuscript review 2021
- Ocean and Coastal Management 1 manuscript review 2021
- South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative Workshop March 2022 2021
- Member at Large Southeastern Estuarine Research Society 2019 - 2021
- NCHRP IDEA Expert Panel for University of Miami SEAHIVE Project 2018 - 2021
- Coastal Management 1 manuscript review 2021
- Ecosystem Services 1 manuscript review 2021
- MA/WHOI Sea Grant One-day proposal panel for MA/WHOI Sea Grant 2021
- PeerJ 1 manuscript review 2021
- Stone Living Lab Proposal Reviews Reviewed 2 proposals for the Stone Living Lab 2021
- Ecology Letters 1 manuscript review 2020
- CA COAST SSINP Review Panel Two-day proposal review panel for the CA COAST SSINP program 2020
- North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Wetland Technical Working Group 2020
- CA COAST SSINP 2 proposal reviews 2020
- Journal of Ecology 1 manuscript review 2020
- Marine Ecology Progress Series 1 manuscript review 2020
- Oecologia 1 manuscript review 2020
- Vida 1 proposal review 2020
- WIREs Climate Change 1 manuscript review 2020
- AGU Books Reviewed book chapter 2019
- Ecology 1 manuscript review 2019
- Journal of Environmental Management 1 manuscript review 2019
- Nature Sustainability 1 manuscript review 2019
- Conference Co-Organizer NSF CoPe ECU Hurricon 2019
- Restore America's Estuaries Living Shoreline Community of Practice 2016 - 2019
- CERF Syposium Organizer Identifying Restoration Priorities and Evaluating Socio-Ecological Benefits at Multiple Scales 2019
- RAE Living Shoreline Technology Transfer Workshop Planning Committee 2018 - 2019
- Conservation Letters 1 manuscript review 2018
- Washington Sea Grant Proposal reviewed 1 proposal 2018
- National Fish and Wildlife Federation Mid-Atlantic Living Shorelines Panel 2016 - 2018
- North Carolina Division of Coastal Management Living Shoreline Permit Review 2015 - 2018
- APNEP's Soundings Blog "Living Storm Protections: Part I, How Did Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael Impact Living Shorelines?" 2018
- Edges of Our Estuaries: Challenges and Opportunities for Managing Dynamic Shorelines 2018
- Environmental Science and Policy 1 manuscript review 2018
- Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science Reviewed 1 manuscript 2018
- Limnology & Oceanography 1 manuscript review 2018
- Estuaries and Coasts Completed 2 manuscript reviews. 2017 - 2018
- North Carolina Department of Transportation Nature-Based Solutions Peer Exchange 2017 - 2018
- Climate Central Article, "As Seas Rise, Americans Use Nature to Fight Worsening Erosion", John Upton, Climate Central 2017
- Coastal Review Online Article, "Living shoreline experiment conducted on Carrot Island", North Carolina Coastal Federation 2017
- Environment, Coastal and Offshore Magazine Editorial Focus: Living Shorelines, Interview 2017
- TV Segment, PBS News Hour and Climate Central TV Segment, "Living shorelines' use oyster shells and marsh grass to reverse coastal erosion", PBS News Hour and Climate Central 2017
- Hudson River Foundation Reviewed 2 proposals 2016 - 2017
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reviewed 1 proposal 2016 - 2017
- PLoS ONE Reviewed 2 manuscripts 2016 - 2017
- Coastal Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference Judge of student presentations and posters. 2017
- Connecticut SeaGrant Reviewed 1 proposal 2017
- Diversity and Distributions Reviewed 1 manuscript 2017
- Ecological Engineering Reviewed 1 manuscript 2017
- Maryland Sea Grant Reviewed 1 proposal 2017
- Ecosystems Reviewed 2 manuscripts 2016
- NBC MACH Interview, "Walls won't save our cities from rising seas, here's what will" 2016
- Gulf Research Program Capacity Building Grants Review Panel 2016
Background
education and training
- B.S. in Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
- Ph.D. in Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill