Our People
Nick received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Florida (2013), a M.S. from the University of Georgia and the Jones Center at Ichauway (2015), and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University (2021). His research began in documenting the invasion of Lake Seminole by the apple snail Pomacea maculate and transitioned to quantifying carbon fluxes in Neotropical streams. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University and expanded work on carbon fixation and greenhouse gas emissions from rivers across the US, integrating ecosystem models with high resolution data collection.
Education
- Ph.D. in Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 2021
- M.S. in Ecology, University of Georgia, 2015
- B.S. in Biology, University of Florida, 2013
Professional Experience
- 2024-Present: Assistant Scientist, Aquatic Sciences, The Jones Center at Ichauway
- 2022-2023: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biology, Duke University
- 2021: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University
- 2017-2021: Graduate Student Fellow & Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University and Organization for Tropical Studies
- 2016-2017: Research Technician III, The Jones Center at Ichauway
Dr. Brantley is broadly interested in the effects of land management on water yield and balancing water yield with other ecosystem services. His previous research has given him a wide range of experiences in quantifying the effects of land cover change on fluxes of water, carbon, nitrogen, and sediments. His current research in the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem focuses on three primary areas: 1) interactions between prescribed fire and provision of ecosystem services 2) the effects of prescribed fire on tree stress and overall forest health, and 3) the potential role of longleaf pine restoration and prescribed fire in improving water yield. Dr. Brantley’s outreach activities center around raising awareness of links between land management, evapotranspiration, and watershed function.
Education
- Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, May 2009
- M.S. in Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, August 2005
- B.S. in Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, August 2003
Professional Experience
- 2020-Present: Associate Scientist, The Jones Center at Ichauway
- 2014-2020: Assistant Scientist, The Jones Center at Ichauway
- 2010-2014: Post-doctoral Research Associate, Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, Otto, North Carolina
- 2011- 2013: Adjunct Professor, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources, Western Carolina University
- 2009–2010: Lab Manager, Coastal Plant Ecology Lab, Virginia Commonwealth University
- 2004–2009: Research Assistant, Coastal Plant Ecology Lab, Virginia Commonwealth University
- 2003- 2007: Lab Instructor, Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University
