Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences

Ecologist Selected for National Fellowship

Dr. Marc Hensel, research assistant professor of coastal ecology, has earned a 2024-2026 Early-Career Research Fellowship from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He will be a fellow in the Environmental Protection and Stewardship track within the Academies' Gulf Research Program (GRP).

Hensel holds a joint appointment in the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences and the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station in Cedar Key. GRP selected him for his research on how climate change, sea-level rise, and development shape the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of Gulf coastal habitats.

“This fellowship supports researchers who tackle critical environmental challenges with bold, collaborative approaches,” said Karena Mary Mothershed, director of GRP’s Board on Gulf Education and Engagement. “We’re excited to support Dr. Hensel’s work and watch the impact he and his peers will make on the Gulf Coast.”

Hensel studies the role of species interactions in shaping the large-scale patterns of coastal habitats like marshes, mangroves, seagrasses, and oyster reefs. His lab combines manipulative field experiments, ecological surveys, and the modeling of long-term environmental data to understand how these systems respond to environmental pressures and adapt over time. The research questions he seeks to answer are important not only for our essential Gulf ecosystems, but also for the coastal communities that depend on them.

A coastal ecology professor on a small boat stands in front of two students who are in the back of the boat as all three pose for a selfie.

^{Dr. Marc Hensel and members of his lab collect data from across the Gulf's Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve.}

"As a Florida kid who earned a B.S. and M.S. here at UF, I’ve long believed this state has a unique opportunity to be a national and global leader for climate resilience," Hensel said. "After a decade away from the Gulf for my Ph.D. and postdoc, I’m excited to use this fellowship to apply the lessons, ideas, and tools I’ve developed to build a research program with impact.”

He also works with the UF Center for Coastal Solutions and contributes to the UF Gulf Scholars program — preparing the next generation of scientists to face future, unknown ecological territory. The Hensel Lab will study how more frequent extreme events, novel species, and new species interactions will affect Gulf resources.

"This challenge is difficult because current conditions are not following historical patterns,” Hensel noted. “We must be creative and interdisciplinary to quantify what still works, identify which management strategies need to be adjusted, and find new solutions."

"We are excited to tackle these critical questions for the Gulf," Hensel said, "and to apply these lessons across all the coastal systems we study."

GRP’s Early-Career Research Fellowship supports emerging leaders who are advancing coastal protection, ecosystem health, and energy system safety in the Gulf region. Having a class of fellows allows them to learn from each other and work with one another.

“Great ecology doesn’t happen in isolation,” Hensel said. “This fellowship connects me with other researchers throughout the Gulf working on climate, coasts, and community resilience. That kind of network creates a positive feedback loop of methods, data, and ideas that makes all our work strong and important.”

Dr. Elise Morrison is another GRP Fellow for 2024-2026. Dr. Morrison, an assistant professor in UF’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, earned her Ph.D. in SWES with Dr. Andy Ogram as her advisor. Her research focuses on nutrient cycling and the effects of human activity in wetland and estuarine environments.