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Why we need to break out of our professional silos to save our coasts | Ehab Meselhe | TEDxLSU

3,409 views · Published 20 June 2018 · 11:25 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Research completed in silos can only offer pieces of solutions to urgent issues. This is why Ehab Meselhe, Vice President for Engineering at the Water Institute of the Gulf, argues the next generation of scientists need to be taught to collaborate and seek public input to solve these large problems. He details how his team of collaborators from different corners of academic are doing this to create the first participatory model of the Mississippi River in hopes to solve local and global coastal erosion issues When researchers, developers and policymakers want to make productive environmental changes to the Gulf coastline, they ask Ehab Meselhe and his team for guidance. Ehab was born in Egypt, where he developed a fascination with waterways like the Nile, a curiosity that would drive him halfway across the world to the Mississippi River. One of Louisiana’s leading experts on coastal systems, Ehab holds a PhD in engineering from the University of Iowa and has more than 20 years of experience researching coastal wetland hydrology, sediment transport and computer modeling of coastal wetland systems. His work in predictive modeling has contributed heavily to Louisiana’s 2017 Coastal Master Plan. Today, he is the Vice President of Science and Engineering at The Water Institute (http://thewaterinstitute.org/), the Baton Rouge-based independent research organization dedicated to providing science and solutions for challenges coastal communities face around the world. He’s working with a team of researchers and engineers on large-scale projects to divert water and sediment from the Mississippi to create new land along the marshes of southeast Louisiana, and exploring how 3D modeling of coastal systems can help Louisiana win its ongoing battle against erosion. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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