(October 26, 2009, New Orleans, La.) - Sea-level Rise and Coastal Change: The Future of Coasts and Low-Lying Regions Under Climate Change will be the topic presented by U.S. Geological Survey research coastal marine geologist S. Jeffress Williams on Thursday, October 29 at 4 p.m. at the University of New Orleans Science Building, room 103.

The talk, presented by the UNO Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the UNO Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences is free and open to the public.

Williams, a senior research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Woods Hole Science Center, has spent his career researching the geological history and processes of coastal, estuarine, wetland and inner continental shelf regions. His current work includes serving as a scientific advisor to system-scale coastal and wetland ecosystem restoration activities in Louisiana. He was a lead co-author of the recent U.S. Climate Change Science Program SAP 4.1 report assessing sea-level rise effects on U.S. coasts and has presented testimony to Congress on Hurricane Katrina's effects on the Gulf Coast.

Williams' current research also focuses on leading a national synthesis and assessment of the state-of-science about offshore marine sand and gravel aggregates, including new geologic maps of offshore areas; and assessing the risk and vulnerability of U.S. coastal regions to climate change, predicted sea-level rise and increased storm activity.

Williams has 40 years of experience investigating such topics as the geologic origins and development of marine coastal and estuarine systems as well as the Great Lakes coastal systems, Holocene to modern sea-level history, climate change effects on coasts, and the geological origins of modern marine sand bodies and their importance to coastal sediment budgets.

Williams has participated in more than 80 field studies along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Irish Sea and Great Lake coasts. He has authored more than 300 publications and served as a member on many high-level national and state science committees, including the National Academy of Sciences, National Ocean Partnership Program, 1998 National Oceans Conference, Coral Reef Task Force, Louisiana Wetlands Restoration Task Force and the Louisiana Sand Task Force.

The University of New Orleans (UNO), the urban research University of the State of Louisiana, provides essential support for the educational, economic, cultural and social well-being of the culturally rich and diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. It opened its doors in 1958 as part of the Louisiana State University System "to bring public-supported higher education to Louisiana's largest urban community." Today, UNO offers 43 undergraduate degree programs, 37 masters, and 11 doctoral programs. The 340-acre main campus sits on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, offering easy access to all parts of the metro area. For more information, visit www.uno.edu.

Johanna M. Schindler  

Director of Communications and Publications

(504) 280-6939

Fax (504) 280-7061

jschindl@uno.edu