About Me

What would happen in a world without wetland...

Bio

I am a researcher in coastal geomorphology.

My research is strongly related to the intricate interplay of water movement, wave propagation, sediment transport and vegetation growth within coastal systems. I aim to understand how the coastal system changes under the impacts of sea-level rise, storm waves, and anthropogenic interference. My research is mainly based on numerical simulations, supported by field data and remote sensing.

Research Interests

  • Coastal and estuarine geomorphology
  • Waves, currents and sediment transport
  • Ecomorphodynamics of coastal wetlands
  • Ecosystem resilience in the face of sea-level rise and human interference
  • Integrated use of modeling, field data, and remote sensing
  • Sustainable management of coastal systems

Research Experience

Title Time
Postdoctoral Researcher, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, USA Jun. 2024 – present
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, USA Jun. 2022 – Jun. 2024
Researcher, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Apr. 2022 – Jun. 2022

Education

Title Time
PhD in Physical Geography, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Oct. 2017 – Apr. 2022
MSc in Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, China Sep. 2014 – Jun. 2017
BSc in Harbor, Waterway and Coastal Engineering, Hohai University, China Sep. 2010 – Jun. 2014

Honors, Awards and Scholarship

No. Title Time
1 Postdoc Travel Award for the AGU23 Fall Meeting, Boston University, USA 2023
2 CSDMS Syvitski Student Modeler Award (Top 4), Boulder, Colorado, USA 2023
3 Young Scientist Award in the 15th International Coastal Symposium, Busan, South Korea 2018
4 National Scholarship for graduate student, Ministry of Education of the P.R. China 2016-2017
5 Best Student Poster in the 14th International Coastal Symposium, Sydney, Australia 2016
6 Principal Scholarship for graduate student, Hohai University, China 2015-2016
7 The First Prize Scholarship for graduate student, Hohai University, China 2014-2015
8 Star Volunteer of the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, Jiangsu Province, China 2014
9 The Outstanding Student Scholarship for undergraduate student, Hohai University, China 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014
10 Yangzhou Channel Scholarship for undergraduate student, Hohai University, China 2011
11 The second prize of Mathematics Modeling Competition, Jiangsu Province, China 2012

Journal Papers

  1. Hou, X., Xie, D., Feng, L., Shen F., and Nienhuis, J. (2024). Sustained increase in suspended sediments near global river deltas over the past two decades. Nature Communications, 15(1), 3319.
  2. Xie, D., Hughes, Z., FitzGerald, D., Tas, S., Asik, T. Z., and Fagherazzi, S. (2024). Impacts of climate change on coastal hydrodynamics around a headland and potential headland sediment bypassing. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(4), e2023GL105323.
  3. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Bryan, R. K., Coco, G., Hunt, S., and van Maanen, B. (2023). Mangrove removal exacerbates estuarine infilling through landscape-scale bio-morphodynamic feedbacks. Nature Communications, 14(1), 7310.
  4. van Hespen, R., Hu, Z., Borsje, B., De Dominicis, M., Friess, D. A., Jevrejeva, S., …, Xie, D. and Bouma, T. J. (2023). Mangrove forests as a nature-based solution for coastal flood protection: Biophysical and ecological considerations. Water Science and Engineering, 16(1), 1-13.
  5. Schwarz, C., van Rees, F., Xie, D., Kleinhans, M. G., and van Maanen, B. (2022). Salt marshes create more extensive channel networks than mangroves. Nature communications, 13(1), 2017.
  6. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2022). Implications of coastal conditions and sea-level rise on mangrove vulnerability: A bio-morphodynamic modeling study. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127, e2021JF006301.
  7. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Brückner, M. Z. M., Kleinhans, M. G., Urrego, D. H., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2020). Mangrove diversity loss under sea-level rise triggered by bio-morphodynamic feedbacks and anthropogenic pressures. Environmental Research Letters, 15(11), 114033.
  8. Xie, D., Tan, Y., Chu, A., Zhou, T., and van Maanen, B. (2018). Distribution characteristics of the extreme storm tides in the radial sand ridges area of the South Yellow Sea in China. Journal of Coastal Research, 85(sp1), 856-860.
  9. Zhou, T., Tan, Y., and Xie, D. (2018). Study on sea-level distribution of storm surges caused by cold wave in coastal areas of Jiangsu. Acta Agriculturae Jiangxi, 30(4), 99-103.
  10. Tan, Y., Yang, F., and Xie, D. (2016). The change of tidal characteristics under the influence of human activities in the Yangtze River Estuary. Journal of Coastal Research, 75(SI), 163-167.

Conference Papers

  1. Xie D., Tan Y., Chu A., and Zhang C. (2016). Analysis on the cause of the specific high tides in the South Yellow Sea. Proceedings of the Twenty-sixth International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference, Rhodes, Greece, June 26-July 1, 1294-1299.
  2. Xie, D., Lin, j., Kuai, Y., Lu, T., and Zhou, Z. (2013). Summary on relationship between montmorillonite flocculation and seawater salinity. China Water Transport, 13(9), 120-122.
  3. Lu, T., Xie, D., Lin, J., and Kuai, Y. (2013). Effect of salinity on the hydrodynamic flocculation of montmorillonite, Logistics Engineering and Management, 35(8), 132-134.
  4. Lin, J., Xie, D., Lu, T., Kuai, Y., and Zhou, J. (2013). Effect of salinity on the flocculation of montmorillonite mineral, China Water Transport, 13(10), 121-124.

Invited Seminars, Talks, and Lectures

  1. Xie, D. (2023), The impact of scale-dependent bio-morphodynamic feedback on estuarine landscape development and restoration. AGU23 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA.
  2. Xie, D. (2023), Responses of mangrove forests to sea-level rise and human interventions: a bio-morphodynamic modelling study. CSDMS Fall Webinar Series.
  3. Xie, D. (2023), Missing the forest for the trees: How focusing on local bio-morphodynamic feedbacks compromises estuary-scale coastal management. CSDMS 2023 Annual Meeting, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
  4. Xie, D. (2022), Bio-morphodynamics of coastal wetlands with mangrove vegetation. Earth & Environment Fall Seminar Series, Boston University, Boston, USA.
  5. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Brückner, M. Z. M., Kleinhans, M. G., Urrego, D. H., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2019), Mangrove diversity loss may be inevitable under sea level rise and human pressures. Delft3D User Days, Deltares, Netherlands.

Conference Presentations

  1. Xie, D., Hughes, Z., FitzGerald, D., Tas, S., Zaman Asik, T., and Fagherazzi, S. (2023), Implications of Causeway Removal on Longshore Sediment Transport During Storms in a Complex Shoreline System. AGU23 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA.
  2. Xie, D., Hughes, Z., FitzGerald, D., Tas, S., Zaman Asik, T., and Fagherazzi, S. (2023), Beyond the shoreline: The importance of coastal headlands on reducing nearshore hydrodynamic forces under climate change. RCEM, Urbana, USA.
  3. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2021), Responses of mangrove forests to sea-level rise and human interventions: a bio-morphodynamic modelling study. CORE, Nanjing, China.
  4. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2021), A bio-morphodynamic modelling study to determine how environmental conditions control mangrove vulnerability to sea-level rise. INTERCOH, Delft, Netherlands.
  5. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2021), Mangrove vulnerability to sea-level rise under varying environmental conditions: A bio-morphodynamic modelling study involving vegetation dynamics and coastal profile change. ECSA, Hull, UK.
  6. Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Brückner, M. Z. M., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2019), The fate of mangrove assemblages in the face of changing coastal systems. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria.

Media Coverage

  1. Publication highlights at: Boston University (2023), Utrecht University (2023), University of Exeter (2023), University of Waikato (2023), etc.
  2. Publication highlights at: Utrecht University (2020), University of Exeter (2020), Dutch Water Sector (2020), etc.
  3. Young Scientist Award highlights at Hohai University in 2018

Journal Reviewer

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