CURRICULUM VITAE
James T. Morris
DIRECTOR, BELLE W BARUCH INSTITUTE FOR MARINE AND COASTAL SCIENCES
PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGICAL AND MARINE SCIENCES
CLASS OF '32 DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF MARINE STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
ADDRESS Belle Baruch Institute, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208; (tel.: 803-777-5288; fax: 777-3935 email: morris@inlet.geol.sc.edu)
EDUCATION B.A. 1973 Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia; M.S. 1975 Biology, Yale University; Ph.D. 1979 Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University; M.Cert 2005 Project Management, George Washington University School of Business
Employment History
2006-present: Director, Belle W Baruch Institute, University of South Carolina; 1992-present: Professor of Biology and Marine Science, University of South Carolina and Research Associate of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Coastal Research, Univ.South Carolina; 2003-2005: Program Director, Division of Environmental Biology, National Science Foundation; 1993: Visiting Professor, Department of Plant Ecology, Aarhus University, Denmark; 1989-1994: Faculty Appointee, U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division; 1987-1992: Associate Professor, Univ. South Carolina; 1990: Visiting Associate Professor, Botansk Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark; 1981-87: Assistant Professor of Biology & Marine Science, University of South Carolina; 1979-81: Postdoctoral Fellow, Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
Society Memberships
American Assoc. Advancement Science,
Estuarine Research Federation, American Geophysical Union, Soc. Wetland
Scientists
Research Interests
biogeochemistry and ecology of wetlands,
systems ecology, plant physiological ecology,
numerical modeling, theoretical ecology
Recent Professional Activity
Member, Finance Committee, Estuarine Research Federation, 2004-present.
Member, Mercer Award Committee, Ecological Society of America 2003-2006.
Review Panel Member, Science Foundation Ireland, 2006-2007.
Review Panel Member, National Science Foundation, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
Panelist, Envisioning the future of the Gulf Coast. April 24-28, 2006, New Orleans, LA.
Indo-US IndoFlux Workshop, July 12-15, 2007 Chennai, India
Honors
2001: Mortar Board Excellence in Teaching Award
2005: Class of 1932 Distinguished Professor of Marine Studies
2009: Elected AAAS Fellow
2011: USC
Educational Foundation Research Award
Selected Publications
3. Morris, J.T. 1980. The nitrogen uptake kinetics of Spartina alterniflora in culture. Ecology 61:1114-1121.
4. Morris, J.T. 1982. A model of growth responses of Spartina alterniflora to nitrogen limitation. Journal of Ecology 70:25-42.
6. Morris, J.T., R.A. Houghton, D.B. Botkin. 1984. Theoretical limits of belowground production by Spartina alterniflora. Ecological Modeling 26:155-175.
8. Morris, J.T. and J. Dacey. 1984. Effects of O2 on ammonium uptake and root respiration by Spartina alterniflora. Amer. J. Bot. 71:979-985.
9. Morris, J.T. and G.J. Whiting. 1985. Gas advection in sediments of a South Carolina salt marsh. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 27:187-194.
10. Morris, J.T. and W.B. Bowden. 1986. A mechanistic, numerical model of sedimentation, mineralization, and decomposition for marsh sediments. Soil. Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 50:96-105.
12. Morris, J.T. and G.J. Whiting. 1986. Emission of gaseous CO2 from salt marsh sediments and its relation to other carbon losses. Estuaries 9:9-19.
17. Morris, J.T., G.J. Whiting, and F.H. Chapelle. 1988. Potential denitrification rates in deep sediments from the southeastern coastal plain. Env. Sci. Tech. 22:832-836.
20. Morris, J.T., B. Kjerfve, J.M. Dean. 1990. Dependence of estuarine productivity on anomalies in mean sea level. Limnol. Oceanogr. 35: 926-930.
21. Bradley, P.M. and J.T. Morris. 1990. Influence of oxygen and sulfide concentration on nitrogen uptake kinetics in Spartina alterniflora. Ecology 71:282-287.
23. Morris, J.T. and B. Haskin. 1990. A 5-yr record of aerial primary production and stand characteristics of Spartina alterniflora. Ecology 71:2209-2217.
26. Bradley, P.M. and J.T. Morris. 1991. The influence of salinity on the kinetics of NH4+ uptake in Spartina alterniflora. Oecologia 85:375-380.
27. Hwang, Y.H. and J.T. Morris. 1991. Evidence for hygrometric pressurization in the internal gas space of Spartina alterniflora. Plant Physiology 96:166-171.
28. Morris, J.T. 1991. Effects of nitrogen loading on wetland ecosystems with particular reference to atmospheric deposition. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 22:257-279.
30. Bradley, P.M. and J.T. Morris. 1991. Relative importance of ion exclusion, secretion and accumulation in Spartina alterniflora Loisel. J. Exp. Bot. 42:1525-1532.
32. Hwang, Y.H. and J.T. Morris. 1992. Fixation of inorganic carbon from different sources and its translocation in Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Aquatic Botany 43:137-147.
33. Bradley, P.M. and J.T. Morris. 1992. Effect of salinity on the critical nitrogen concentration of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Aquatic Botany 43:149-161.
34. Hwang, Y.H. and J.T. Morris. 1994. Whole plant gas exchange responses of Spartina alterniflora (Poaceae) to a range of constant and transient salinities. Amer. J. Bot. 81:659-665.
36. Otte, M.L. and J.T. Morris. 1994. Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) in Spartina alternilfora Loisel. Aquatic Botany 48:239-259.
38. Morris, J.T. 1995. The salt and water balance of intertidal sediments: results from North Inlet, South Carolina. Estuaries 18:556-567.
40. Morris, J.T., C. Haley, and R. Krest. 1996. Effects of sulfide concentrations on growth and dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) concentration in Spartina alterniflora, pp. 87-95 In Biological and Environmental Chemistry of DMSP and Related Sulfonium Compounds. R.Kiene, P.Visscher, M. Keller and G. Kirst (eds), Plenum, NY.
41. Morris, J.T. & A. Jensen. 1998. The carbon balance of grazed and nongrazed Spartina anglica saltmarshes at Skallingen, Denmark. J.Ecol.86: 229-242.
43. Paludan, C. and J.T. Morris. 1999. Distribution and speciation of phosphorus along a salinity gradient in intertidal marsh sediments. Biogeochemistry 45: 197-221
44. Morris, J.T. and P.M. Bradley. 1999. Effects of nutrient loading on the preservation of organic carbon in wetland sediments. Limnology and Oceanography, 44:699-702.
46. Sundareshwar, P.V. and J.T. Morris. 1999. Phosphorus sorption characteristics of intertidal marsh sediments along an estuarine salinity gradient. Limnology and Oceanography 44:1693-1701.
48. Morris, J.T. 2000. Effects of sea level anomalies on estuarine processes. Pp. 107-127. In: J. Hobbie (ed.), Estuarine Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice. Island Press. 539 pp.
50. Krest, J.M., W.S. Moore, L.R. Gardner, and J.T. Morris. 2000. Marsh nutrient export supplied by ground water discharge: Evidence from radium measurements. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 14:167-176.
51. Mendelssohn, I.A. and J.T. Morris. 2000. Ecophysiological controls on the growth of Spartina alterniflora, pp. 59-80. In: Concepts and Controversies in Tidal Marsh Ecology. N.P. Weinstein and D.A. Kreeger (eds.). Kluwer Academic Publishers.
52. Sundareshwar, P.V., J.T. Morris, P.J. Pellechia, H.J. Cohen, D.E. Porter and B.C. Jones. 2001. Occurrence and ecological implications of pyrophosphate in estuaries Limnol. Oceanogr. 46:1570-1577.
53. Morris, J.T., P.V. Sundareshwar, C.T. Nietch, B. Kjerfve, D.R. Cahoon. 2002. Responses of coastal wetlands to rising sea level. Ecology 83:2869-2877.
55. Huang, X. and J. T. Morris. 2003. Trends in phosphatase activity along a successional gradient of tidal freshwater marshes on the Cooper River, South Carolina. Estuaries, 26:1281-1290.
56. Sundareshwar, P.V., J.T. Morris, E.K. Koepfler, and B. Fornwalt. 2003. Phosphorus limitation of coastal ecosystem processes. Science 299:563-565.
59. Otte, M.L., G. Wilson, J.T. Morris and B.M. Moran. 2004. Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) and related compounds in higher plants. J. Exp. Bot. 55:1919-1925.
61. Mudd, S.M., S. Fagherazzi, J.T. Morris, and D.J. Furbish. 2004. Flow, sedimentation, and biomass production on a vegetated salt marsh in South Carolina: toward a predictive model of marsh morphologic and ecologic evolution, in The Ecogeomorphology of Tidal Marshes, edited by S. Fagherazzi, A. Marani, and L.K. Blum, pp. 165-187, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.
63. Morris, J.T., R.R. Christian, and R.E. Ulanowicz. 2005. Analysis of size and complexity of randomly constructed food webs by information theoretic metrics. pp. 73-85, In: Aquatic Food Webs: an Ecosystem Approach; A. Belgrano, U. M. Scharler, J. Dunne and R. E. Ulanowicz (Eds), Oxford University Press.
64. Huang, X. and J. T. Morris. 2005. Distribution of phosphatase activity in marsh sediments along an estuarine salinity gradient. Marine Ecology Progress Series 292: 75-83.
66. Morris, J.T., D. Porter, M., Neet, P. A. Noble, L. Schmidt, L. A. Lapine, and J. Jensen. 2005. Integrating LIDAR elevation data, multispectral imagery and neural network modeling for marsh classification. Int. J. Remote Sensing 26:5221-5234.
67. Morris, J.T. 2006. Competition among marsh macrophytes by means of geomorphological displacement in the intertidal zone. Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science 69:395-402.
68. Morris, J.T. 2007. Ecological engineering in intertidal saltmarshes. Hydrobiologia 577:161-168.
69. Morris, J.T. 2007. Estimating net primary production of salt-marsh macrophytes, pp. 106-119. In Fahey, T.J. and Knapp, A.K (eds). Principles and Standards for Measuring Primary Production. Oxford University Press.
72. Kiehn, W.M. and J.T. Morris. 2009. Relationships between Spartina alterniflora and Littoraria irrorata in a South Carolina salt marsh. Wetlands 29:818-825.
73. Kirwan, M.L., G.R. Guntenspergen, and J.T. Morris. 2009. Latitudinal trends in Spartina alterniflora productivity and the response of coastal marshes to global change. Global Change Biology 15:1982-1989.
74. Bernot, M.J., R.J. Bernot and J.T. Morris.2008. Nutrient cycling relative to δ15N and δ13C natural abundance in a coastal wetland with long-term nutrient additions. Aquatic Ecology. DOI 10.1007/s10452-008-9221-8.
76. Mudd, S.M., S. Howell, and J.T. Morris. 2009. Impact of the dynamic feedback between sedimentation, sea level rise, and biomass production on near surface marsh stratigraphy and carbon accumulation. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 82:377-389.
77. Kiehn, W.M. and J.T. Morris. 2010. Variability in Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in Spartina alterniflora and its effect on Littoraria irrorata. Marine Ecology Progress Series 406:47-55..
78. Mudd, S.M., A. D’Alpaos, and J.T. Morris. 2010. How does vegetation affect sedimentation on tidal marshes? Investigating particle capture and hydrodynamic controls on biologically mediated sedimentation. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 115, F03029, doi:10.1029/2009JF001566.
80. Kirwan, M.L., G.R. Guntenspergen, A. D’Alpaos, J.T. Morris, S.M. Mudd, S. Temmerman. 2010. Limits on the adaptability of coastal marshes to rising sea level. Journal of Geophysical Research 37, L23401, doi:10.1029/2010GL045489.
81. Wilson, A.M. and J.T. Morris. 2011. The influence of tidal forcing on groundwater flow and nutrient exchange in a salt marsh-dominated estuary. Biogeochemistry. In press.
82. Davey, E., C. Wigand, R. Johnson, K. Sundberg, J. Morris, and C.T. Roman. 2011. Use of computed tomography imaging for quantifying coarse roots, rhizomes, peat, and soil particle densities in marsh soils. Ecological Applications 21: 2156-2171.
Recent Selected Abstracts
78.Morris, J.T. The stability of coastal wetlands depends on the tidal amplitude. Abstract of presentation made at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Madison, WI, Aug. 2001.
79. Huang, X. and J.T. Morris. Trends in phosphatase activity along a successional gradient of tidal freshwater marshes, Cooper River, South Carolina. Abstract of presentation made at the 16th International Biennial Estuarine Research Federation Conference, St.Petersburg, FL, Nov. 7, 2001
82. Morris, J.T. 2001. The stability of coastal wetlands depends on the tidal amplitude. Abstract of presentation made at the 86th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Madison, Aug. 5-10.
85. Morris, J. T., R. Christian, R. Ulanowicz. 2001. Complexity and the ecological properties of randomly constructed stable food webs. Abstract of presentation made at the 16th International Biennial Estuarine Research Federation Conference, St.Petersburg, FL, Nov. 6.
87. Morris, J.T., G. Herrick, and J. Herr. 2002. Nutritional status and spectral reflectance of Spartina alterniflora. Abstract of talk given at the annual meeting of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, June 10-15, Victoria, B.C.
89. Morris, J. T., R. Christian, R. Ulanowicz. 2002. Size, complexity and function of theoretical and real food webs. Abstract of presentation made at the 86th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Tuscon, Aug. 4-9
90. Morris, J.T., R. Christian, R. Ulanowicz. 2002. Food web size, complexity and function. Abstract of invited presentation made at the Southeastern Estuarine Research Federation meeting. Conway, SC. Oct 17-19.
93. Morris, J.T., G. Herrick, J. Herr, D., Porter, P. Noble, J. Jensen. 2003. Determinants of the spectral reflectance of the marsh grass Spartina alterniflora and a neural network classification of a coastal landscape. Abstract of invited talk to be given at the AAG meeting, March, New Orleans.
97. Morris, J.T. Indicators of coastal wetland responses to rising sea level. Abstract of invited talk given at the Society for Conservation Biology 17th Annual Meeting, Duluth, MN. 28 June-2 July 2003.
98. Morris, J.T. and P.V. Sundaraeshwar. Effects of nitrogen loading on salt marsh primary production, sedimentation and sediment metabolism: interactions with rising sea level. Abstract of invited talk given at the Ecological Society of America meeting, Savannah, GA. August 2003.
104. Morris, J.T. and R.R. Christian. Food web size, complexity and function. Abstract of talk given at the ASLO/TOS Ocearn Research Conference, Feb. 2004, Honolulu.
105. Morris, J.T. 2004. Effects of changes in sea level on the productivity, biogeochemistry, and stability of salt marshes. Abstract of keynote talk given at the UNESCO/CORILA CoastWetChange meeting, Venice, Apr. 25.
108. Morris, J.T. 2004. Responses of coastal wetland productivity and biogeochemistry to changing sea level. Abstract of tutorial talk given at the ASLO meeting, Savannah. June 13-18.
109. Morris, J.T. 2004. Effects of Changes in Sea Level on the Equilibrium Elevation and Productivity of Salt Marshes. Abstract of invited talk given at the AGU Chapman Conference on Salt Marsh Geomorphology: Physical and Ecological Effects on Landform, Halifax. October 9-13.
110. Morris, J.T. 2004. Indicators of coastal wetland condition: landscapes to physiology. Abstract of talk given at the Estuarine and Great Lakes Coastal Indicators (EaGLe) Annual Meeting, Duluth. Sept. 30 - Oct. 1.
111. Fagherazzi, S., S. Mudd, J. Morris and D. Furbish. Flow, sedimentation, and biomass production on a vegetated salt marsh in South Carolina: toward a predictive model of marsh morphologic and ecologic evolution. Abstract of talk for the 2004 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco. Dec 13-17.
112. Morris, J.T. 2004. Feedbacks among mean sea level, productivity and the equilibrium elevation of east coast salt marshes. Abstract of invited talk given at the 3rd International Conference on Invasive Spartina. San Francisco. Nov. 8-10.
113. Morris, J.T. 2004. Regulation of salt marsh biogeochemical cycles. Abstract of invited symposium (Linking Comunity and Ecosystem Approaches in Coastal Systems) talk presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists. Rohnert Park, CA. Nov. 11-14.
115. Morris, J.T. 2005. Regulation of salt marsh primary production, geomorphology and biogeochemical cycles by variation in mean sea level. Abstract of plenary talk given at the 9th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, March 20-23. Baton Rouge.
116. Morris, J.T. 2005. Indicators of the condition of coastal wetlands and their responses to sea-level rise. EPA National Estuary Program Tech Transfer Conference. July 21, 2005.
118. Morris, J.T., D. Porter, J. Jensen and P.A. Noble. The frequency distribution of intertidal marsh elevations as a diagnostic of vulnerability to sea-level rise. Ecological Society of America meeting, Montreal. August 9, 2005.
119. Morris, J.T. Resiliency of intertidal salt marsh ecosystems to rising sea level. Abstract of invited talk given at the Society of Wetland Scientists annual meeting, Cairns, Australia, July 10, 2006
121. Sundareshwar, P., E. Koepfler, J. Morris, S. Newbauer, J. Pinckney, and E. Smith. Effect of differential nutrient limitation on carbon sequestration in a North Inlet, SC, salt marsh. Abstract of invited talk given at the 91st meeting of the Ecological Society of America meeting, Memphis. August 6-11, 2006.
123. Morris, J.T. Wetland equilibrium model II: Effect of rate of sea level rise and tidal amplitude on relative marsh elevation and sediment organic matter accretion. LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park CO. Sept. 20-23, 2006.
124. Morris, J.T. 2007. Effects of rate of sea level rise and tidal amplitude on relative marsh elevation and sediment organic matter accumulation. Abstract of invited talk given at the 10th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Annapolis, MD. April, 2007
125. Morris, J. 2007. The relative importance of mineral and organic matter accumulation in maintaining marsh elevation. Abstract of invited talk given at the Estuarine Research Federation meeting, Providence. Nov. 4-8, 2007.
126. Pate, W., J. Morris, 2007. Relationships among DMSP concentration in Spartina alterniflora, salt marsh dieback and Littoraria irrorata. Abstract of talk given at the Estuarine Research Federation meeting, Providence. Nov. 4-8, 2007.
130. Morris, J.T. and K. Sundberg. 2008. Astronomical forcing of salt marsh biogeochemical cascades. EOS Trans. AGU, 89(53), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS14A-08
131. Wilson, A.M. and J.T. Morris. 2008. The influence of tidal forcing and groundwater flow on nutrient exchange between salt marsh sediments and adjacent estuaries. EOS Trans. AGU, 89(53), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract H21H-0922
133. Morris, J.T. 2009. Astronomical forcing of salt marsh biogeochemical cycles. Abstract of talk to be given at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting, Madison, 2009.
134. Wigand, C., Davey, E., Sundberg, K., Morris, J., Smith, E., Kenny, P., Johnson, R., and Roman, C. 2009. Effect of fertilization on soil respiration and belowground macro-organic matter in Spartina alterniflora marsh soils. Abstract of talk to be given at the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation meeting, Portland, Nov.
135. Kirwan, M.L., Guntenspergen, G.R., D’Alpaos,A., Morris, J.T., Mudd, S.M.,Temmerman, S. 2009. Threshold sea level rise rates for wetland survival: limits to ecogeomorphic feedbacks. Abstract, AGU, San Francisco.
136. Howell, S.M., Morris, J.T., Furbish, D. 2009. Stochastic description of salt-marsh inundation from mixed astronomical-wind driven tides, with implications for macrophyte growth. Abstract, AGU, San Francisco.
137. Mudd, S.M., Howell, S.M., Morris, J.T. 2009. How does sea level rise affect sedimentation, plant growth, and carbon accumulation on coastal salt marshes? Abstract, AGU, San Francisco.
138. Morris, J.T. Determinants of relative salt marsh surface elevation. Meeting of the IGCP 495 Project: Quaternary Land-Ocean Interactions. Myrtle Beach, SC.
139. Morris, J.T. 2009. Critical rates of sea-level rise for vegetated marshes: Relationships among vegetation, relative elevation, and sediment accretion rates. Abstract, Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation meeting, Portland, Nov.
140. Morris, J.T. and C. Currin. 2009. Can Coastal Wetlands Survive a Higher Rate of Sea-Level Rise? Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium. Dec 1-3. Washington, DC.
141.
Morris, J.T. 2010. The limits of salt marsh adaptation to rising sea
level. Sea Level Rise 2010 Conference. Harte Research Institute.
Mar 1-3. Corpus Christi.
142. Morris J.T., C. Wigand, E. Davey and K. Sundberg. 2010. Effects of eutrophication on the storage of organic matter in marsh sediments revisited. Invited paper given at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting, Salt Lake City. June 28.
143. Morris, J.T. 2010. Effects of Sea Level-Rise on Carbon Accretion in Coastal Tidelands. Abstract B24A-05 of invited paper given at the American Geophysical Union meeting, San Francisco. Dec. 2010.
148. Morris, J. and K. Sundberg. 2011. Forcing of salt marsh biogeochemical cascades by relative sea level. Abstract of invited talk given at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting, Prague. July 4.