Carter Smith
- Assistant Professor
Research areas
I am an interdisciplinary coastal ecologist, and my interests lie at the intersection of multiple disciplines including community ecology, conservation and restoration science, and coupled human natural systems research. While not system specific, my research has previously focused on salt marshes, oyster reefs, seagrass beds, and urban shorelines using a combination of field experiments, observational studies, social science methodologies, and synthesis techniques. My research focuses on the following themes: I) employing socio-ecological methods to unravel mechanisms of climate resilience; II) evaluating shoreline development as a global driver of marine ecosystem structure and function; III) testing how species interactions mediate the effects of global stressors; and, IV) applying multidisciplinary theory to advance restoration practice. I strive to conduct research that pushes theory forward while also pursuing sustainable and adaptive conservation and restoration solutions that benefit people and the environment under global change.
Areas of Expertise
- Coastal and marine ecology
- Restoration ecology
- Human-natural systems
Selected publications
Smith, C.S., M. Rudd, R. Gittman, E. Melvin, V. Patterson, J. Renzi, E. Wellman, and B. Silliman. 2020. Coming to terms with living shorelines: A scoping review of novel restoration strategies for shoreline protection. Frontiers in Marine Science 7(434). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00434
Smith, C.S., and S.B. Scyphers. 2019. Past hurricane damage and flood zone outweigh shoreline hardening for predicting residential-scale impacts of Hurricane Matthew. Environmental Science and Policy 101, 46-53.
Silliman, B.R., Q. He, C. Angelini, C. S. Smith, M. L. Kirwan, P. Daleo, J. Renzi, J. Butler, J. C. Nifong, and J. van de Koppel. 2019. Field experiments and meta-analysis reveal wetland vegetation as a crucial element in the coastal protection paradigm. Current Biology 29(11), 1800-1806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.017
Smith, C.S., B. Puckett, R. K. Gittman, C.H. Peterson. 2018. Living shorelines enhanced the resilience of saltmarshes to Hurricane Matthew (2016). Ecological Applications 28(4), 871-877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.009
Smith, C.S., R. K. Gittman, I. P. Neylan, S. B. Scyphers, J. Morton, F.J. Fodrie, J. H. Grabowski, C.H. Peterson. 2017. Hurricane damage along natural and hardened estuarine shorelines: using homeowner perspectives to promote nature-based coastal protection. Marine Policy 81, 350-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.04.013
Gittman, R.K., S.B. Scyphers, C.S Smith, I.P. Neylan, J.H. Grabowski. 2016. The ecological consequences of shoreline hardening: a meta-analysis. Bioscience 66, 763-773. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw091
Smith, C.S., M. Rudd, R. Gittman, E. Melvin, V. Patterson, J. Renzi, E. Wellman, and B. Silliman. 2020. Coming to terms with living shorelines: A scoping review of novel restoration strategies for shoreline protection. Frontiers in Marine Science 7(434). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00434
Smith, C.S., and S.B. Scyphers. 2019. Past hurricane damage and flood zone outweigh shoreline hardening for predicting residential-scale impacts of Hurricane Matthew. Environmental Science and Policy 101, 46-53.
Silliman, B.R., Q. He, C. Angelini, C. S. Smith, M. L. Kirwan, P. Daleo, J. Renzi, J. Butler, J. C. Nifong, and J. van de Koppel. 2019. Field experiments and meta-analysis reveal wetland vegetation as a crucial element in the coastal protection paradigm. Current Biology 29(11), 1800-1806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.017
Smith, C.S., B. Puckett, R. K. Gittman, C.H. Peterson. 2018. Living shorelines enhanced the resilience of saltmarshes to Hurricane Matthew (2016). Ecological Applications 28(4), 871-877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.009
Smith, C.S., R. K. Gittman, I. P. Neylan, S. B. Scyphers, J. Morton, F.J. Fodrie, J. H. Grabowski, C.H. Peterson. 2017. Hurricane damage along natural and hardened estuarine shorelines: using homeowner perspectives to promote nature-based coastal protection. Marine Policy 81, 350-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.04.013
Gittman, R.K., S.B. Scyphers, C.S Smith, I.P. Neylan, J.H. Grabowski. 2016. The ecological consequences of shoreline hardening: a meta-analysis. Bioscience 66, 763-773. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw091