The Water Institute

09/02/2026

After a year of incredible work, we are saying farewell to our Science Policy Fellow Fuad Shatara.

Joining The Water Institute through the National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program Fellowship, Fuad has been an integral part of the Coastal Ecology Department and the RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (LA-COE). His projects included assisting with the production of the LA-COE 10-year impact report, development of the Bayou Bienvenue Restoration Priortitization Plan, eDNA lab work, and so much more.

Good luck, Fuad and thank you for being a big part of our team. We can’t wait to see where you go from here!

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

Over the past two weeks, Restore Act Center of Excellence for Louisiana Research Project Investigators (P*s), Co-P*s, and graduate students gathered at Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority headquarters in Baton Rouge to share their findings from two years of research with the LA-COE and our CPRA partners.

These presentations showcased the breadth and impact of research advancing our understanding of Louisiana’s dynamic coast, from innovative science and engineering to research that can help inform real-world decisions about coastal resilience, restoration, and protection.

We’re proud to celebrate the researchers, students, and partners whose dedication and collaboration are helping build knowledge for Louisiana’s future. Their work demonstrates the power of bringing research, expertise, and coastal decision-making together to address the complex challenges facing our working coast.

Thank you to all of the RFP3 research teams, CPRA, and our university and agency partners for making these past two weeks such a valuable opportunity to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and advance coastal science.

To learn more about LA-COE visit https://thewaterinstitute.org/la-coe.

08/27/2026

What if you could anticipate flooding and other natural hazards before they occurred? Learn how ICEYE is partnering with The Water Institute to bring FloodID, a new comprehensive flood forecasting and decision support system, to emergency managers. https://hubs.li/Q04vyKG80

Now ICEYE customers will not only be able to see flooding as it occurs, but also where it's likely to happen in the next few hours or days, and how long it will take to drain once it does. FloodID is designed to provide advanced warning and mitigate disaster impacts from the headwaters to the coast.

The solution combines physics-based hydrodynamic modeling with physics-guided AI, building on years of applied work developed to support emergency managers in Louisiana and other hurricane-impacted states. Paired with ICEYE's daily global SAR observations and operations across more than 30 countries, this partnership lays the foundation for a new generation of forecasting and decision intelligence, from onset through recession.

Want to explore what this could look like for your organization? Reach out to our team to learn more.

08/27/2026

FloodID® began as a tool to help local communities make better decisions before, during, and after flood events. Today, The Water Institute is proud to announce a strategic new partnership with ICEYE that gives this Louisiana-tested technology gain a pathway to reach more decision makers across the United States and beyond.

With ICEYE’s global reach, Earth observation capabilities, technical infrastructure, and operational expertise across more than 30 countries, FloodID will help more communities protect property, reduce risk, and save lives.

Read the announcement: https://thewaterinstitute.org/media/press-releases/the-water-institute-announces-strategic-partnership-with-iceye-to-scale-floodid

08/04/2026

A pilot project at Graveline Bay on Dauphin Island, Alabama, shows how marsh restoration can provide measurable flood risk reduction benefits for nearby properties.

The project examined approximately 60 acres of restored marsh and found that the restoration reduced wave heights and water levels across a range of storms, from minor flooding events to major tropical storms.

Those reductions translated into an estimated 9% to 18% decrease in average annual loss, a measure used to understand insurance risk. While this does not mean residents will see an equivalent reduction in their flood insurance premiums, it does show that the properties are less risky to insure.

The Community Resilience Center at The Water Institute worked with Moffatt & Nichol, Munich Re US, and Dauphin Island residents to better understand how investments in natural infrastructure could be reflected in flood insurance pricing.

The project team is using these pilot findings to bring together stakeholders, like actuaries, modelers, insurance industry professionals, and advocates, to develop a durable process for incorporating local data on risk reduction into the National Flood Insurance Program’s pricing system.

These findings provide an important foundation for continued work to connect coastal restoration, risk reduction, and insurance pricing across Gulf communities.

Read the full project findings: https://thewaterinstitute.org/graveline-bay-insurance-pilot

This project was supported by the Gulf of America Alliance through funding provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Office for Coastal Management.

07/10/2026

Congratulations to Christian Ariza-Porras and Lorena Peñuela Cantor on becoming Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professionals!

Christian and Lorena recently attended the Data + AI Conference in San Francisco, where they took and passed Databricks’ highest-level certification exam for data engineers.

This advanced certification validates the ability to design, build, optimize, secure and operate production-grade data engineering solutions at enterprise scale, including Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, streaming, performance optimization, observability, governance, CI/CD and production troubleshooting.

Together, Christian and Lorena bring deep expertise in data management, big data, software development, GIS, spatial data and complex data visualization to The Water Institute’s work.

For The Water Institute, this achievement reinforces the technical expertise behind the data infrastructure that supports research, modeling, and decision-making. Christian and Lorena’s skills help ensure our data platforms are reliable, scalable, reproducible, secure and capable of handling large and complex datasets.

Please join us in congratulating Christian and Lorena on this achievement!

07/09/2026

Join us for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 9-12, 2026.

Global political, informational, and social shifts are upending the global policy environment. The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and shifts in global decision-making mechanisms are changing the toolkit that policy makers have to navigate and respond to complex, daunting problems like economic growth and stability, pandemic response and prevention, resource management, disaster and emergency response, and more in an uncertain environment.

For more information, or to register, visit thewaterinstitute.org/dmdu-2026

06/23/2026

The Water Institute is excited to partner with Serve Louisiana as a host site for the 2026-2027 AmeriCorps term! We are seeking applicants based in New Orleans to join our Marketing and Communications team as a full-time Communications Coordinator.

What you’ll do during your 11-month service term:
💻 Assist with developing and distributing digital newsletters
💻 Assist with updating and maintaining the Institute’s website
💻 Design graphics and print/digital outreach materials
💻 Capture and edit event and project photo/video content
💻 Use content management systems to schedule posts and emails
💻 Support events, tours, and engagement activities
💻 Track and compile communications metrics
💻 Support organizational presence at State of the Coast 2027

What you’ll get out of your service term:
🤝 Hands-on training in nonprofit communications and marketing
🤝 Experience with tools like Asana, Hootsuite, Adobe Creative Suite, and Canva
🤝 Opportunities to connect with scientists, policymakers, and community partners
🤝 Personal and professional development support through AmeriCorps Serve Louisiana
🤝 Support in seeking positions in related fields following the conclusion of your term

Our ideal candidate has:
⭐ Strong written and verbal communication skills
⭐ Creativity in content development
⭐ Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, environmental or biological science, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
⭐ Familiarity with social media or digital content creation
⭐ Prior experience with writing, editing, or community engagement

Learn more about the AmeriCorps program and apply through Serve Louisianahttps://www.servelouisiana.org/uploads/Water-Institute-Communications-Coordinator.pdf

06/23/2026

The Water Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Jessica Henkel has been named Director of Coastal Ecology.

“I am honored to formally step into this role at a time when coastal science is more important than ever. My career has focused on ensuring that research informs decisions about restoration, resilience, and the stewardship of our natural resources. I look forward to working with our talented team and partners to advance rigorous, actionable science that supports healthy ecosystems, strengthens communities, and helps shape a more resilient future for our coasts.”

Jessica previously served as Director of Research Operations at the Institute, where she led teams and initiatives focused on translating complex science into practical solutions for natural resource management, restoration and resilience planning, and water management challenges. Jessica also continues to serve as Director of the RESTORE Act Center of Excellence for Louisiana (LA-COE), where her leadership helps ensure restoration and resilience investments are transparent, effective, and grounded in community needs.

She also brings valuable experience from her time as Science Advisor for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, where she helped guide the federal agency in the implementation and adaptive management of more than $500 million in federal restoration funds. Today, she continues that impact at The Water Institute by aligning research priorities with long-term coastal goals.

A mentor to early-career scientists and an advocate for women in STEM, Jessica brings precision, purpose, and heart to her work as she helps build a more resilient future for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

Jessica stepped into the Director of Coastal Ecology role following Dr. Tim Carruthers’ departure from the Institute to serve as Principal Advisor of Climate Science for the South Australian Government’s Department for Environment and Water.

Jessica steps into the role following Dr. Tim Carruthers’ departure from the Institute to serve as Principal Advisor of Climate Science for the South Australian Government’s Department for Environment and Water.

Congratulations, Jessica!