LSU is the flagship institution of Louisiana and is one of only 30 universities nationwide holding land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant status.

Since 1860, LSU has served its region, the nation, and the world through extensive, multipurpose programs encompassing instruction, research, and public service. The university brings in more than $150 million annually in outside research grants and contracts, a significant factor for the Louisiana economy.

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LSU Rainmaker Emerging Scholar in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

Worley Professor of Excellence

LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award

LSU C-I Teaching Fellow

NSF CAREER Award

Joseph Lipsey, Jr. and Richard A. Lipsey Excellence in Teaching Award

American Geophysical Union

European Geophysical Union

American Society of Civil Engineers

Tau Beta Pi

International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research

Impacts of tropical cyclones on wave and current regime in a shallow, microtidal bay

Response of river delta hydrological connectivity to changes in river discharge and atmospheric frontal passage

Hydrometeorological drivers of the 2023 Louisiana water crisis

Modelling the Effects of Vegetation Distribution and Density on Hydrological Connectivity and Water Age in a River Delta

Water exposure time distributions controlled by freshwater releases in a semi‐enclosed estuary

Coastal Hydrology & Hydrodynamics

Dr. Matt Hiatt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences at LSU. Dr. Hiatt’s research investigates hydrology and hydrodynamics in coastal systems using numerical modeling and field measurements. Current work includes the influence of cold fronts on coastwide water level variability in Louisiana, geometric and topological analyses of estuaries and braided rivers, and the influence of morphological evolution on water transport timescales in river-dominated deltas. Hiatt holds a Bachelor's Degree (B.S.C.E.) in Civil Engineering, from the University of Kansas; a Master’s Degree (M.S.E.) in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin; and received a Ph.D.(s): Ph.D. Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016.

Nearshore Waves

Hydrological Connectivity in Coastal Environments

Harmful Algal Blooms

Coastal Hydrology

Environmental Fluid Dynamics

Water Transport Timescales in Deltas and Wetlands

Network Analysis

LSU Faculty Profile

Coastal Hydrology and Hydrodynamics Lab at LSU

Google Scholar Citations

LSU Celebrates Six Rainmakers

Dr. Matthew Hiatt Receives Worley Professor of Excellence Award

4 LSU professors awarded National Science Foundation's most prestigious early-career grant

Beyond a friction coefficient: The role of vegetation in channel-floodplain Matthew Hiatt- C

Evaluating the Effect of River Discharge on Cold Front Induced Water Transport in the Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana

Human exposure forecasts to future cyanobacteria toxicity in Louisiana: The need to predict species shifts, potency, and modality along the freshwater-to-marine continuum in a changing climate

Collaborative Research: RAPID: Determining the Impacts of a Combined Historical Watershed and Regional Drought on Coastal Louisiana Wetland Ecohydrology,

Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative

Relationships between vegetation and discharge on distributary channels in the Birds Foot Delta: bifurcations and sediment flux

CAREER: Dynamic water transport timescales: Quantifying hydrodynamic responses to perturbations across time and space in a river delta

wetlands-natures-first-line-of-defense-for-our-coast-and-communities

Associate Professor

Since the 1930s, Louisiana’s coastline has been reshaped by the relentless advance of the Gulf, with over 2,000 square miles of land disappearing beneath its waters and representing the largest loss of coastal land anywhere in the continental United States.

This dramatic transformation has far-reaching consequences, threatening local economies, delicate ecosystems, and heightening the state’s exposure to hurricanes. In the face of these urgent challenges, LSU’s College of the Coast & Environment (CC&E) stands at the forefront, leading pioneering research and bold initiatives that not only protect Louisiana’s coast, but also build stronger, more resilient communities. Below are just a few examples of how CC&E is driving meaningful solutions for our coastal future.

Wetlands are vital to protecting our coast, and CC&E researchers are actively investigating the role of both constructed and natural wetlands in reducing coastal flooding hazards. Through several projects funded through the US Army Corps of Engineers, Drs. Robert Twilley, Matthew Hiatt, and CC&E Dean Clint Willson, along with collaborators across campus, are conducting research on coastal ecosystem design -  a framework that leverages the benefits of natural and nature-based coastal features, such as wetlands, environmental levees, and flood control gates – and how that could be integrated into engineering design and urban planning.

Through the State of Louisiana’s ambitious Coastal Master Plan, administered by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, wetland construction and restoration play a huge role in managing the Louisiana coastal region. Such innovative techniques leveraging natural and nature-based features require evaluation to determine the success of such projects, and CC&E researchers are using cutting-edge science to advance this endeavor. Dr. Tracy Quirk and her students are investigating the success of marsh restoration by comparing structural and functional characteristics (e.g., vegetation, elevation, hydrology, accretion, and denitrification) between two created marshes and an adjacent natural reference marsh along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana.

Wetlands not only serve as a buffer from storms and sea level rise but also play a major role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to productive vibrant ecosystems. In large collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation, Dr. Giulio Mariotti is using computer models to forecast how coastal marshes may change in size, shape, and salinity in the future, and how these changes could affect methane emissions.

As part of the same project, Drs. Haosheng Huang and Dubravko Justic are creating high-resolution hydrodynamic and biogeochemical models to predict changes in methane emissions in coastal Louisiana.

In another project, with funding from Louisiana Center of Excellence, National Science Foundation, Louisiana Sea Grant, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Drs. Matthew Hiatt and John White have established a network of sensors to measure water levels and salinity throughout the wetlands in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, a region that has experienced significant land loss and storm impacts. The goal is to establish an understanding of the drivers of saline intrusion in marsh soils, and to ultimately determine what this means for the ecological resiliency of wetlands experiencing rapid change.

CC&E’s leadership in wetlands science is recognized nationwide. It is the only college in the United States to have six faculty members—Drs. John White, John W. Day, Jr., Robert Twilley, William Patrick, James Gosselink, and R. Eugene Turner—honored with the prestigious National Wetlands Award. No other institution has had more than one recipient. Presented annually by the Environmental Law Institute, this award celebrates individuals whose work demonstrates exceptional innovation, dedication, and impact in wetlands conservation and education. CC&E’s unmatched record reflects decades of pioneering research and a deep commitment to safeguarding the nation’s most vulnerable coastal landscapes.

Every day, CC&E channels this expertise into action—protecting Louisiana’s coast and, in turn, the communities, wildlife, and ecosystems that depend on it. Through bold research, collaborative partnerships, and a vision grounded in science, the college is shaping a more resilient future for coastal regions everywhere. CC&E is building teams that win in Louisiana, for the world.

Article originally published here.  

Wetlands: Nature’s First Line of Defense for Our Coast and Communities

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