Hallie Fischman
About Me
I am currently a first year PhD student in Coastal Engineering studying the restoration of coastal ecosystems. I graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology focused in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2019.
Current Research
I’m currently researching how facilitation and mutualistic interactions can improve coastal restoration. My first PhD project will test if two dune grass species interact competitively or facilitatively and if dune restoration can be enhanced through mixed species plantings. I’m also involved in ongoing dune surveys along the North Florida and Georgia coasts monitoring dune recovery following Hurricanes Matthew and Irma and resilience to future storms.
Previous Research
I first jointed the Angelini Lab as an undergraduate during the summer of 2017, where I studied the role of the ribbed mussel in building and stabilizing salt marshes. In 2018, I deployed my undergraduate honors thesis in Sapelo Island, Georgia. This project studied how modifying the density and configuration of sea oat (Uniola paniculata) plantings can enhance sand dune restoration and promote recovery from hurricane damage. After graduation, I moved to Christchurch, New Zealand where I monitored the recovery of rocky reef and sand dune communities from a recent earthquake. Specifically, I studied abalone recruitment, monitored algal communities along rocky reefs, analyzed the effects of off-road vehicles on beaches and sand dunes, and measured uplift along 120km of coastline using LiDAR data.
Publications
Fischman HS, Crotty SM, Angelini C. 2019. Optimizing Coastal Dune Restoration with the Stress Gradient Hypothesis. Proc. R. Soc. B 286: 20191978. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1978
Crotty SM, Altieri AH, Bruno JF, Fischman H, Bertness MD. 2019. The Foundation for Building the Conservation Capacity of Community Ecology. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:283. DOI: 10.3389/fmar.2019.00238
Sea oats 3 months after planting
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Sea oats 1.5 years after planting
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