rtwilley@lsu.edu

phone:225-578-8810
mobile: 225-279-0353

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the LSU Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute web site.  I hope that you will take the time to learn more about the research and education activities of faculty, research associates and graduate students in WBI.  We are very proud of our contributions to find solutions to environmental problems and develop ecosystem restoration projects at the state, national and international levels of concern. 

The LSU Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute (WBI) was established in 1977 as a research unit at Louisiana State University, and became a part of the School of the Coast and Environment in 2000.  Its focus is biogeochemical processes in wetland and coastal ecosystems. Currently, the Institute consists of 9 faculty members (5 academic and 4 research), 2 post docs, 8 full-time research associates, an analytical laboratory manager, and an administrative assistant. Institute faculty direct 10 graduate students in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and 2 graduate students in other departments.

The main strength of WBI's research program is its emphasis on wetland biogeochemical processes combined with a multi-disciplinary approach to studying wetlands. WBI's research in wetlands includes investigations of marsh accretion and sedimentation processes, redox chemistry, global biogeochemical cycles (C, N, S, P, O), sedimentation processes, toxic metals and organics, water quality functions, greenhouse gas production and emission, wetland plant stress physiology, and ecosystem ecology. The Institute also has an international research program pertaining to the biogeochemistry of wetland ecosystems throughout Latin America and Asia, including mangroves and rice-paddy soils.

WBI faculty and staff have established a productive publication record over the last three decades. WBI has 686 peer-reviewed journal publications, proceedings, book chapters and published reports since 1960. The citation index of WBI, particularly the late Dr. William Patrick and Dr. Ron DeLaune, is distinguished among faculty at LSU. There have been 80 publications since 2000, for an average of 17 publications per year; the peak performance of WBI reached 33 publications per year in previous decade.

Spend some time on our web site visiting with faculty, research programs, our mission and goals, and distinguished publication list.  We will be glad to help with any interests you may have in our program of research and study.  Feel free to contact me or any other faculty member in WBI.