Wendy Carey, Coastal Processes/Coastal Hazards Specialist

E-mail: wcarey@udel.edu
Phone: 302-645-4258

Delaware Sea Grant College Program Marine Advisory Service
University of Delaware
700 Pilottown Road Lewes, DE 19958-1298

B.S. Geology, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, 1976
M.S. Marine Studies, College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 1979
Ph.D. Marine Studies, College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 1996

Coastal processes; coastal hazards; hazard mitigation and preparedness; sea-level rise; barrier island geology and ecology, interaction of geological and biological processes in coastal tidal wetlands; management of coastal environments.

• Workshops and public information seminars on coastal processes, coastal hazards, coastal storm preparedness and mitigation, coastal construction, sea-level rise, and risk/vulnerability assessment.
• Coastal hazards and resiliency in Delaware coastal communities – information website and brochure publication.
• Rip current outreach: technology transfer of rip current research results, working with NOAA NWS and local beach patrols to enhance rip current education and awareness for the beach-going public.
• Native plant demonstration garden: public education and awareness of use and benefits of native plants in coastal environments – dunes, meadows, woods, and wetlands.
• March '62 Storm: continued compilation, synthesis, and digitization of historical records and photographs.

Coastal Hazards in Delaware. 2009. This publication explores what are coastal hazards are, why Delaware is vulnerable to them, how those vulnerabilities can be minimized and managed, and the potential impacts to people, property, and natural resources. Produced in partnership with the UD’s Coastal Community Enhancement Initiative and Delaware DNREC.

Coastal Hazards and Community Resiliency in Delaware. 2009. To help reduce Delaware communities’ vulnerability to coastal hazards, Delaware Sea Grant, UD’s Coastal Community Enhancement Initiative, and Delaware DNREC compiled information and resources that will increase awareness of coastal hazards and with the goal of improving societal, economic and personal resiliency to coastal hazards.

Coastal Currents - Monitoring Coastal Delaware: The SANDCam System. 2008. Two-page fact sheet that introduces a high-tech video system used by coastal engineers to monitor changes occurring along the Delaware coast. Printed in partnership with the University of Delaware's Center for Applied Coastal Research.

Coastal Currents – Rip Currents. 2005. This detailed fact sheet describes how to identify this potentially deadly coastal hazard and what to do if you get caught in a rip current. Printed in partnership with the University of Delaware's Center for Applied Coastal Research.

Native Plant Demonstration Garden Plant Guide. 2005. A beautiful, full-color fold-out guide to native plants that thrive and bloom in Delaware's climate, and can also provide food, protective cover, and nesting sites for birds and small animals. Printed in cooperation with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Rip Currents – Break the Grip of the Rip. 2004. Fold-out brochure that describes the dangers and characteristics of rip currents. Printed in cooperation with Delaware Coastal Programs, Delaware Emergency Management Agency, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

Striking a Balance. 2004. A full-color, 46-page comprehensive guide to coastal dynamics and beach management in Delaware. Printed in cooperation with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Delaware Coastal Programs.

Delaware’s Coastal Dunes. 2003. Describes dune ecosystems and the importance of sand dunes to Delaware's beachgoers. Printed in cooperation with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Coastal Currents – Northeasters. 2003. A detailed fact sheet that describes features and hazards associated with this common coastal storm in the mid-Atlantic region. Printed in partnership with the University of Delaware's Center for Applied Coastal Research.

The Great Northeaster of 1962: Delaware's Storm of the Century. 2002. A full page tri-fold brochure that describes the impacts of the 1962 storm and provides tips to prepare yourself and your coastal home from future storms. Printed in cooperation with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Delaware Rip Current Flyer. 2002. Describes the warning signs of this coastal hazard and how to swim out of a rip current. Printed in cooperation with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Delaware Coastal Storms, 2000. Newspaper insert that describes coastal storms facing Delaware residents. Also includes preparation tips and definitions used in describing storms. Printed in cooperation with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Cape Gazette.

Carey, W. L., and E. M. Maurmeyer. 1998. Rapid evolution of an emergent tidal salt marsh into a submerged wetland/incipient lagoon resulting from increased rates of sea-level rise and/or new inlet formation, Milford Neck, Delaware. Academy of Natural Science Conference: Concepts and Controversies in Tidal Marsh Ecology, Vineland, NJ (abstract).

Carey, W. L. 1996. Transgression of Delaware's fringing tidal salt marshes: surficial morphology, subsurface stratigraphy, vertical accretion rates, and geometry of adjacent and antecedent surfaces. Ph.D. Dissertation, College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 639 pp.

Carey, W. L., J. E. Pizzuto, A. E. Schwendt, and J. C. Kraft. 1995. Rates of transgression, erosion, vertical accretion, and submergence of some Delaware salt marshes. Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (abstract).