Education

• M.S. Biological Oceanography, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
• B.S. Biology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN

Current Projects

• Chesapeake Bay Dune Systems: Evolution and Status. An historical and current analysis of beach and dune resources in the lower Chesapeake Bay.
• Determining design criteria for the restoration of sandy shorelines in fetch limited environments.
• The history of Virginia tidal shoreline management.

Selected Publications

• Varnell, L.M., C.S. Hardaway and D.A. Milligan. 2010. Classification of fetch limited dunes in the lower Chesapeake Bay: evidence of morphologic equilibrium. Journal of Coastal Research 26(4), 663-672.
• Varnell, L.M., D.A. Evans, D.M. Bilkovic, and J.E. Olney. 2008. Estuarine surface water allocation: a case study on the interactive role of science in support of management. Environmental Science & Policy 11, 602-612.
• Olney, J.E., D.M. Bilkovic,, C.H. Hershner, L.M. Varnell, H. Wang and R.L. Mann. 2006. Six fish and 600,000 thirsty folks - a fishing moratorium on American shad thwarts a controversial municipal reservoir project in Virginia, USA. 4th World Fish Congress Proceedings. 587-597.
• McElfish, J.M., Jr. and L.M. Varnell. 2006. Designing environmental indicator systems for public decisions. Columbia Journal of Environmental Law 31(1), 45-86.
• Varnell, L.M. and C.S. Hardaway, Jr. 2005. A risk assessment approach to management of estuarine dune fields. Ocean & Coastal Management 48: 767-781.
• Varnell, L.M., and D.W. Weiss. 2004. Virginia Nontidal Wetlands Impacts Data [online]. Available http://ccrm.vims.edu/wetlands/nontidal_impacts.html
• Varnell, L.M., D.A. Evans, and K.J. Havens. 2002. A geomorphological model of intertidal cove marshes with application to wetlands management. Ecological Engineering 19(5): 339-347.
• Hardaway, C.S., Jr., L.M. Varnell, D.A. Milligan, W.I. Priest, G.R. Thomas, and R.C.H. Brindley. 2002. An integrated habitat enhancement approach to shoreline stabilization for a Chesapeake Bay island community. Wetlands Ecology and Management 10: 289-302.
• Havens, K.J., L.M. Varnell, and B.D. Watts. 2002. Maturation of a constructed tidal marsh relative to two natural reference tidal marshes over 12 years. Ecological Engineering 18(3): 305-315.
• Varnell, L.M., G. Anderson and D. Weiss. 1998. Virginia tidal Wetlands Impacts Data [online]. Available http://ccrm.vims.edu/wetlands/tidal.html
• Varnell, L.M. 1998. The relationship between inundation history and baldcypress stem form in a Virginia floodplain swamp. Wetlands 18(2). 176-183.
• Varnell, L.M. and K.J. Havens. 1995. A comparison of dimension-adjusted catch data methods for assessment of fish and crab abundance in intertidal salt marshes. Estuaries 18(2): 319- 325.
• Varnell, L.M., K.J. Havens and C. Hershner. 1995. Daily variability in abundance and population characteristics of tidal salt marsh fauna. Estuaries 18(2): 326-334.
• Havens, K.J., L.M. Varnell and J.G. Bradshaw. 1995. An assessment of ecological conditions between a constructed tidal marsh and two natural reference tidal marshes in Virginia. Ecological Engineering 4(2): 117-141.