Clare Escamilla
Plant and Environmental Sciences
Clemson University
Image courtesy of C. Escamilla
Clare’s Story
Clare Escamilla is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences at Clemson University. Born and raised in New Jersey, Clare grew up in a family who instilled in her a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for plants. This passion led her to pursue a M.S. in Water Management and Hydrological Sciences at Texas A&M University and work as a research assistant at the Texas Water Resources Institute. Her work focused on watershed protection planning and protecting riparian and stream systems through educational programming. While working in Texas, Clare developed an appreciation for extension work and the important role it plays in communicating science and building trust within communities. She continues to bridge her extension and research goals through her Ph.D. work at Clemson University and is appreciative that the Slocum-Lunz Foundation has supported her work. Outside of school, Clare is most likely found running on the trails around the Upstate or cuddling with her little dog Duncan.
Clare’s Research
Stormwater ponds are a widely used stormwater control measure along the coast of South Carolina. Excessive nutrients entering ponds during storm events can lead to eutrophication and algal blooms. Coastal stormwater ponds are often the last line of defense to sequester and transform pollutants before stormwater discharges to coastal waters and estuaries. Floating wetlands can be installed in ponds to help improve water quality, particularly by reducing nutrient concentrations. However, floating wetlands deployed in coastal ponds face additional challenges as some ponds may be brackish and have fluctuating salinity levels. There has been limited research on plants suitable for floating wetlands in brackish water. Clare’s research looks at the suitability of using floating wetland in brackish ponds along the coast. In one experiment, twelve wetland plant species analyzed at different salinity levels demonstrated that salinity should guide plant selection in brackish ponds, as not all salt-tolerant plants can survive all salinity levels. The species that performed best were used for field scale trials, where floating wetlands were installed in monthly-monitored brackish ponds to determine survival and nutrient uptake.
Many of the coastal stormwater ponds are in residential communities. To ensure successful implementation of floating wetlands in private ponds after this project, researchers should strive to meet the expectations of residents, and thus Clare’s research included focus groups and surveys with coastal residents to determine their priorities and perceptions of floating wetlands.
Research outcomes will include a plant list of species suitable for brackish ponds, design consideration for floating wetlands installed in residential communities, and outreach materials such as videos, signs, and fact sheets.
Images courtesy of C. Escamilla, 2024