NEWS AND EVENTS
LUMCON faculty awarded a Fulbright scholarship
Dr. Alex Kolker will study how issues facing Louisiana’s coast are being addressed in Morocco
Associate Professor Dr. Alex Kolker has been named a Fulbright Scholar for his research, “Understanding How Sea-Level Dynamics Influence Coastal Processes Along The Moroccan Coast”. The prestigious award comes with funds to support working in Morocco from September 2019 to May 2020.
Kolker will use his scholarship to study sea level change and its impacts on the Moroccan coast. Morocco, like Louisiana, has significant investments in coastal infrastructure; many of Morocco’s cities are coastal and its Port of Tangier is the third-largest port in Africa. Coastal tourism and fisheries both contribute substantially to Morocco’s economy. And just like Louisiana, Morocco is experiencing coastal changes that threaten homes and businesses in coastal areas that have been modified by generations of human development.
A global perspective, Kolker hopes, will help Louisiana plan for climate change, sea-level rise, and a changing coast. While in Morocco, Kolker will work with local colleagues to create a sediment management plan that will improve coastal resilience there. He hopes to bring ideas back to Louisiana from the partnership, and said “Louisiana has a lot to offer, and learn from, the rest of the world when it comes to coastal change. Exchanging ideas across countries and continents can only help the places we live and love.”
Kolker has studied sea-level rise and coastal impacts for almost two decades, including contributing to multiple coastal resiliency efforts that include Louisiana’s 2017 Coastal Master Plan. Learn more about his research by visiting his faculty profile.