Storms and Species: How Hurricanes Aid in Invader Expansion

July 30, 2023

Non-Native Species on the Rise: USGS Insights

On this episode of the American Shoreline Podcast, hosts Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham engage in an insightful conversation with Ian Pfingsten, a botanist and invasive species expert from the U.S. Geological Survey. Pfingsten explains the mechanisms used by the USGS to predict and track the spread of non-native species through Flood and Storm Tracker maps. The discussion further illuminates the impact on ecosystems, potential economic and human health implications, and the mitigation strategies employed to curb the threats posed by these invasive species. This episode not only sheds light on the USGS's critical research and innovative methods, but also underscores the urgent need for preparedness and resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and devastating weather events.

Show Transcription
This transcription was generated by a computer. Please excuse any errors.
Peter Ravella & Tyler Buckingham

Peter and Tyler joined forces in 2015 and from the first meeting began discussing a project that would become Coastal News Today and the American Shoreline Podcast Network. At the time, Peter and Tyler were coastal consultants for Pete’s firm, PAR Consulting, LLC. In that role, they worked with coastal communities in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, engaged in grant writing, coastal project development, shoreline erosion and land use planning, permitting, and financial planning for communities undertaking big beach restoration projects. Between and among their consulting tasks, they kept talking and kept building the idea of CNT & ASPN. In almost every arena they worked, public engagement played a central role. They spent thousands of hours talking with coastal stakeholders, like business owners, hotel operators, condo managers, watermen, property owners, enviros, surfers, and fishermen. They dived deep into the value, meaning, and responsibility for the American shoreline, segment-by-segment. Common threads emerged, themes were revealed, differences uncovered. There was a big conversation going on along the American shoreline! But, no place to have it. That's where CNT and ASPN were born.