Former NE CASC Fellow Hannah Baranes Receives Climate Adaptation Leadership Award

Former NE CASC Fellow Hannah Baranes has long displayed immense dedication to pursuing an important goal: developing science that benefits coastal communities in the Northeast. It is perhaps fitting, then, that she had just extricated herself from a mudflat at one of her research sites in Maine when she received word that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) had selected her for a 2024 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award in the Emerging Leader category. For NE CASC community members familiar with Baranes’ work ethic and talent, the news that she has been named a recipient of an award widely regarded as the nation’s premier honor in the field of climate adaptation comes as no surprise. For Baranes, though, it was “equally humbling and motivating” to learn that she had been recognized for what AFWA describes as “outstanding efforts to advance the resilience of the nation’s fish, wildlife, and plant resources in a changing climate.”  

“It’s extremely exciting and an amazing honor to be thought of as an ‘emerging leader’ in coastal science by the CALA selection committee,” Baranes said. “Although this is an individual award, it is very much the product of a team effort. Over the years, I have been fortunate to learn from and partner with a remarkably talented group of researchers and practitioners, as well as engaged and knowledgeable communities. Their curiosity, enthusiasm, and ability has helped me hone my skills as an action-oriented scientist, and I am thrilled to share this recognition with them.” 

An Assistant Research Scientist at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Baranes first emerged as a rising star in her field while still a graduate student in Geosciences at UMass Amherst. While serving as a coauthor of the Greater Boston Research Advisory Group report, “Climate Change Impacts and Projections for the Greater Boston Area”, she developed a novel analytical method to create state-of-the-art coastal flood projections for Massachusetts. This groundbreaking work is now helping inform adaptation planning for 101 municipalities in Eastern Massachusetts. Following completion of this project, Baranes worked with the Office of the Governor in Maine to expand her projections for that state, where her work will guide adaptation efforts along the coast.

Integrating data from varied sources such as satellite imagery and turbidity measurements, Baranes has also authored a paradigm-shifting publication that identifies the fundamental dynamics shaping sediment delivery to salt marshes. Her findings show that sediment accretion for many northeastern salt marshes arises from coastal erosion and marine inputs rather than strictly fluvial sources, as has been commonly held. Because salt marsh survival depends on sediment delivery as sea level rises, this work is essential to effective coastal management under climate change. 

“I couldn’t imagine a better candidate for this award and am elated that Hannah has received it,” said Jon Woodruff, Baranes’ doctoral advisor and NE CASC University Codirector. “She is a gifted scientist who thrives on developing projects that directly advance climate adaptation and benefit society. I am confident that her reputation as a leader in the field of coastal science will only grow in the years to come.” 

Baranes credits her time as an NE CASC fellow with helping her find her identity as a scientist. “Participating in the NE CASC Fellows Program played a decisive role in my intellectual and professional growth because the program encouraged me to think more carefully about the impact I wanted my work to have on the broader world beyond the university. It was through my experiences working on an NE CASC research project–and participating in NE CASC fellows meetings–that I realized my true passion lies in conducting community- rather than purely curiosity-driven science. The NE CASC Fellows Program excels at positioning grad students and postdocs to participate in this kind of research and produce meaningful, actionable results, a fact that helps explain why so many of my former NE CASC fellow colleagues and other program alumni are now leading climate adaptation science initiatives across the U.S. I am proud of my association with NE CASC and grateful for my experiences both as a NE CASC fellow and as a member of the Woodruff research group.”