UNC Earth Marine and Environmental Sciences

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UNC Earth Marine and Environmental Sciences

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

05/11/2026

EMES professor Dr. Laura Moore was recently featured in a The Guardian article discussing how erosion, storms, and sea-level rise are reshaping the North Carolina coastline and the communities that call it home.

As a coastal geomorphologist, Dr. Moore studies barrier island evolution, shoreline change, and the ways natural processes interact with human development along dynamic coastlines like the Outer Banks. Her research helps improve our understanding of long-term coastal resilience in the face of environmental change.

The article highlights the growing challenges coastal communities face as rising seas and intensifying storms continue to impact infrastructure, homes, and ecosystems along the Atlantic coast.

🔗 Read the full article from The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/29/north-carolina-outer-banks-homes

UNCChapelHill EMESUNC

05/08/2026

Senior Victor Hieu Nguyen was recently featured by UNC for his journey from competing in Science Olympiad to conducting research on ocean circulation and carbon capture modeling at Carolina.

Through research experiences in the EMES department, Victor explored topics ranging from oceanography and climate science to coastal systems and carbon cycling, helping shape his path as an environmental scientist.

In the article, Victor reflects on how undergraduate research helped connect his curiosity about the environment with real-world impact and introduced him to new possibilities in ocean science.

Congratulations, Victor!

🔗 Read the full story from UNC: https://www.unc.edu/posts/2026/04/27/he-advanced-from-science-olympiad-to-diamond-shoals/?j=866506&sfmc_sub=164571892&l=48_HTML&u=14384867&mid=514013727&jb=8006&utm_source=thewell&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UCOMM+FY26+The+Well+May+7%2c+2026&utm_content=Student+Experiences&utm_id=866506&sfmc_id=164571892

04/20/2026

Graduate Student Highlight | Sarah Hull

Meet Sarah, a PhD student whose research explores how mountain ranges form and evolve over millions of years. Her work spans from local field sites to global systems, with mapping efforts in both the North Carolina Appalachian Mountains and Guatemala.

Sarah combines detailed field mapping with laboratory analysis to uncover when and how these mountain belts formed, helping scientists better understand the processes that shape Earth’s surface over time. Her research has led to the discovery and naming of two previously unrecognized extensional faults in North Carolina, offering new insight into the early history of the southern Appalachians.

As she prepares to wrap up her PhD this summer, Sarah is excited for the next steps in her career and the opportunities ahead.

Stay tuned for more graduate student features!

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EarthScience Tectonics EarthAndMarineSciences UNCChapelHill

04/15/2026

🎉 Travel Award Oral Presentation

Congratulations to Zachary Hudspeth, graduate student in the Martens Lab, on receiving a competitive travel award to attend the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Zach presented his research on how methane moves through the deep ocean—specifically what happens after it’s released from seafloor “cold seeps,” which are found all along continental margins. Using sensors placed directly on the seafloor, he studies how microbes consume methane and how it’s transported through the ocean. This work helps us better understand methane’s role in global carbon cycles and its impact as a greenhouse gas.

OSM was Zach’s first large international conference, and the experience went beyond just presenting:

“During a single week in Scotland, I was introduced to topics that were not on my radar. This is the beauty of a large conference.”

From sharing his work to connecting with researchers across disciplines, the week helped shape how he thinks about his research…and where it can go next.

We’re proud to see EMES students representing UNC and growing as scientists on a global stage. Congratulations, Zach!

ClimateScience UNCChapelHill EMESUNC

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Alt Text: Graphic announcing Zachary Hudspeth’s travel award and oral presentation at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026.

03/26/2026

Welcome back, Tar Heels! 💙

We hope you had a great Spring Break and are settling back into the semester. As we get back into the rhythm of classes, research, and everything in between, we’re excited to see what the rest of the semester holds for everyone in EMES/E3P.

Let’s make it a great one 🌊

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Alt Text: Graphic in UNC colors that reads “Welcome Back Tar Heels. We hope you had a good Spring Break!” with illustrations of school supplies like a backpack, globe, binoculars, and laptop.

03/09/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 UNC EMES at Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026

Our Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences faculty and students traveled to Glasgow, Scotland for the Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) 2026, one of the largest gatherings of ocean scientists in the world!

Throughout the week, EMES researchers shared their work through oral presentations and poster sessions, covering topics from barrier island evolution and coastal carbon storage to ocean circulation, methane oxidation, nutrient delivery in the Galápagos, and Gulf Stream dynamics.

Swipe through to see highlights from the conference and the incredible research our students and faculty presented!

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Alt Text:
Carousel showing UNC Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences faculty and students presenting posters and talks at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, along with a group photo of the UNC attendees.

02/20/2026

Chapel Hill is heading to Glasgow! ✈️

UNC Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences faculty and graduate students are presenting their research at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland (February 22–27).

From coastal resilience and barrier island evolution to ocean circulation, nitrogen cycling, methane oxidation, seagrass carbon storage, and phytoplankton ecology, we are contributing research across the full spectrum of ocean science.

Swipe to see the full presentation schedule and support our presenters throughout the week. We’re proud to see EMES represented on the global stage!

CoastalScience EMESUNC

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Alt Text (for carousel):
Slide 1: Graphic announcing Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland with UNC branding and a cityscape image.
Slides 2–6: Schedule listing UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and graduate student oral and poster presentations across February 23–27 at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026.

02/06/2026

Curious about summer research? Start planning now. 🔬🌱

Even though this year’s SURF deadline has passed, now is the perfect time to start thinking ahead. Join us this evening to learn how to build a strong Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) application and set yourself up for success next summer.

SURF supports students in hands-on research, scholarship, or creative work for at least 9 weeks during the summer, working closely with a UNC-Chapel Hill faculty mentor. If you’re interested in research (or want to learn how to get started) this session is for you.

📌 Registration is required through HeelLife
📧 Questions? Contact the Office for Undergraduate Research at [email protected]

Your research journey can start sooner than you think!

01/27/2026

First Author Announcement! 🎉

We are thrilled to congratulate Olivia Key, Rodriguez Lab alumna, on the publication of her honors thesis in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. This marks Olivia’s first publication as first author.

Her research highlights the ability of North Atlantic seagrass beds to persist through burial events over centennial timescales, with important implications for coastal ecosystem resilience.

Congratulations to Olivia on this outstanding achievement!

🔗 Read her thesis here:
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1mMbG~1MBv71c

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Alt Text: Graphic announcing a first-author publication featuring a portrait of Olivia Key, with text congratulating her on the publication of her honors thesis in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science through UNC Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences.

12/19/2025

As AGU25 comes to a close, we’re proud to highlight the wide range of research presented by EMES faculty, postdocs, and students this week in New Orleans.

From coastal and river systems to climate extremes, remote sensing, and geomorphology, EMES researchers contributed posters and oral presentations across the meeting.

Swipe to see the full schedule of EMES posters and talks from AGU 2025.

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104 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC
27599

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https://emes.unc.edu/

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