Karinna Nunez
Senior Research Scientist; CCRM Geospatial Modeling Manager
Email:
[[karinna]]
Phone:
(804) 684-7273
Office:
Davis Hall 218
Section:
Ecosystem Health
Unit:
Center for Coastal Resources Management
Links:
{{http://www.vims.edu/ccrm/, CCRM}}, {{http://cmap22.vims.edu/_docs/cv/nunez_k_abbr.pdf, CV (abbreviated)}}
Education
- B.S. Biochemistry, University of the Republic of Uruguay
- M.S. Marine Science, William & Mary
- Ph.D. Marine Science, William & Mary
Research Interests
My research lies at the intersection of coastal ecology, geospatial science, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and process-based modeling, with a strong emphasis on understanding and enhancing the resilience of coastal ecosystems. Much of my research focuses on how tidal marshes and living shorelines respond and adapt to sea-level rise, storms, land-use change, and other environmental pressures. I investigate how these systems evolve across different coastal settings, the conditions that influence their sustainability and migration, and how natural and nature-based features can contribute to shoreline protection, habitat conservation, restoration, and community resilience.
Key areas of research include:
- Coastal wetland ecology and resilience, including tidal marsh evolution and migration, living shorelines, wetland and shoreline restoration, natural and nature-based solutions, and responses to sea-level rise and other environmental change
- Geospatial, AI, and cross-scale modeling, integrating GIS, remote sensing, Earth observation, machine learning and deep learning, and hydrodynamic and ecological models to understand coastal change across spatial scales
- Spatial decision-support tools for coastal management and policy, translating scientific data and model outputs into practical information for restoration, conservation, climate adaptation, and coastal resilience
My research is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, connecting coastal and marine science with data science, engineering, ecology, restoration, and resource management. I am particularly interested in collaborations that advance our understanding of coastal ecosystem resilience under climate change, develop innovative applications of geospatial AI and remote sensing, improve cross-scale coastal modeling, and evaluate the effectiveness of natural and nature-based solutions.