Academic Programs > AGNR Academic Departments > ENST Home > Graduate Program > Wetland Science
The specialization in Wetland Science addresses the keen awareness among the Environmental community that wetlands represent a critical and understudied component of many larger ecosystems. Hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils and wetland hydrology all contribute to make wetlands the significant and highly complex ecosystems that they are.
In addition to the more obvious recreational and aesthetic contributions of wetlands, they provide fish and wildlife habitat, protect and enhance water quality through biogeochemical processes, increase flood protection through flood water storage mechanisms, and afford protection against shoreline erosion. Wetlands have rapidly gained public attention over the last two decades as they have been brought into the limelight by state and federal regulations and through the attention given such large scale environmental issues as hurricane Katrina.
Wetland Science Faculty
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Lowell Adams, Adjunct Associate Professor Wildlife Ecology, Urban Wildlife, Urban Ecosystems ladams4@umd.edu |
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Andrew Baldwin, Associate Professor |
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Reginal M. Harrell, Professor Environmental and Biological Ethics, Physiological Genetics, Stress in Animals, Aquaculture and Phytoremediation, Restoration Ecology rharrell@umd.edu |
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Pat Kangas, Associate Professor Ecological Design, Ecological Engineering, Tropical Ecology and Sustainability pkangas@umd.edu |
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Bahram Momen, Associate Professor Ecosystem Ecology, BioStatistics bmomen@umd.edu |
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Brian Needelman, Associate Professor Soil Science (Pedology), Water Quality, Carbon Sequestration bneed@umd.edu |
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Martin Rabenhorst, Professor Pedology, Soils of Wetland Ecosystems, Subaqueous Soils mrabenho@umd.edu |
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David Tilley, Associate Professor Ecological Engineering, Wetland Health Assessment, Energy-based Environmental Accounting dtilley@umd.edu |
For more information, contact Graduate Studies Coordinator
Last updated: 06/8/2011

Wes Bickford, wetland science graduate student, has been awarded a highly competitive NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship.“This fellowship is an excellent way to gain upper level experience and actually make an impact on wetland and coastal management at the state level, says” Bickford. “I am extremely excited for the opportunity.” The fellowship program provides a two-year on-the-job education and training experience in coastal resource management and policy and provides project assistance to state coastal zone management programs.