Deon H. Knights

Deon’s research aims to improve our understanding of how hydro-ecological interactions control nutrient distribution in coastal systems. Deon uses numerical models, remotely sensed data, and field and lab experiments to evaluate the exchange of solutes between surface water, the subsurface, and the biome in coastal ecosystems such as tidal rivers and Arctic deltas. This has far-reaching environmental and societal consequences ranging from the health of local fisheries to global biogeochemical cycling. One of his projects aims at tackling environmental justice issues by determining the likelihood of exposure to poor water quality in urban communities. Another project investigates the transport and transformation of nutrients in Arctic deltas to accurately predict nutrient load to the Arctic Ocean under present and future conditions. Deon’s work leverages multiple ways of knowing and community-driven science to address water quality issues in urban and native communities.