Geologist Michael Miner to join Institute as Director of Applied Geosciences

Michael Miner, who is joining The Water Institute of the Gulf in September as the Director of Applied Geosciences, at the dunes on Santa Rosa Island, Fla.

Whether it’s offshore sand sources needed for barrier island restoration or more efficient use of dredge material for rebuilding coastal wetlands, these vital resources have been at the center of Michael Miner’s career. In September 2018, Miner will bring his expertise to The Water Institute of the Gulf as the director of the newly formed Applied Geosciences team.

“We’re so excited to welcome Michael to the team. He brings a new dynamic and perspective to the Institute based on his vast experience researching Gulf Coast geology, and from his time with the Department of the Interior collaborating with scientists and managers across the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to advance science that provides for more resilient coastal communities and ecosystems,” said Justin Ehrenwerth, Institute president and CEO.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Miner received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in geology from the University of Mississippi where he studied the subsurface geology of southern Mississippi and Louisiana. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of New Orleans where his work focused on the coastal and deltaic evolution of the Mississippi River delta plain and inner continental shelf.

In 2007, Miner joined the UNO Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences as a research geologist and played a critical role in the development and implementation of the Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program in cooperation with Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Then in 2010, Miner joined the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and worked extensively on the Marine Minerals Program that manages federal offshore sediment resources for beach and barrier island restoration projects. In that role, he worked closely with CPRA and other partners on the Caminada Headland Beach and Dune Restoration project which was the first project to use offshore and sand resources from Ship Shoal and the largest coastal restoration project constructed to date in Louisiana.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing people applying science to make a difference in our coastal landscape,” Miner said. “We are embracing a unique opportunity in coastal Louisiana as the natural laboratory for understanding how coasts respond to sea level rise. Because of subsidence, our sea level rise is 2-3 times faster than the global average. We use what we learn to make our communities and ecosystems more resilient and working at the Institute will provide for the opportunity to export the knowledge and new technology developed on our coast to improve coastal management practices elsewhere.”

Michael Miner, who is joining The Water Institute of the Gulf in September as the Director of Applied Geosciences, lectures at an outcrop of Peoria Loess in the Tunica Hills during a field trip.

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