Term: 2023-2026
Monitoring and Assessment Team Assignments: SAV, Wetlands
STAC Member Since: July 2023
Title: Research Biologist
Department: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Organization: US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Education: PhD Marine Sciences, North Carolina State University 2013; MS Fisheries Science, University of Maryland-College Park 2006; BS Ecology, North Carolina State University (magna cum laude) 2002
Primary Focus Area: Estuarine ecology, restoration ecology, nature-based solutions, population dynamics
Secondary Focus Area(s): Remote sensing of coastal habitats
Career Experiences: Brandon is a research marine biologist in the Coastal Resilience, Restoration and Assessment Branch at the NOAA laboratory in Beaufort, NC. Through applied research, he strives to provide science-based solutions that improve restoration outcomes, and the resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities. In these pursuits, he integrates general ecological principles with empirical observations (field- or lab-based) and numerical modeling. His research interests, broadly speaking, center around the ecology of coastal habitats—focusing primarily on oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, and, to a lesser degree, seagrasses.
His recent research has focused on: 1) developing decision-support tools to inform oyster restoration, 2) evaluating the ability of nature-based solutions to enhance coastal ecosystem and community resilience, 3) assessing vulnerability of coastal wetlands to natural and anthropogenic stressors, and 4) applying remote sensing technology (namely drones) to monitor and assess change in wetland and oyster reefs.
Prior to joining NCCOS in 2022, Puckett served as the Research Coordinator for the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve and Coastal Reserve for seven years. In that role, he led, collaborated and facilitated research projects designed to inform the management of coastal ecosystems, including research on living shorelines, dredging environmental windows, salt marsh restoration, and invasive species.