Natalie Nelson

Bio

Area(s) of Expertise

Dr. Nelson’s research focuses on characterizing and modeling nonpoint source pollution in inland and coastal waters, and takes a watershed-scale approach to studying where and why nonpoint source pollution occurs. More specifically, studies in her lab investigate: (1) How agricultural and maricultural systems influence, and are influenced by, water quality; (2) Ways in which climate-driven changes in freshwater and sea level affect water quality and biota; and (3) Methods for combining models (statistical, machine learning, process-based) and environmental monitoring data to create decision-support tools for natural resource managers.

Publications

• Developing Predictive Models Using Sonde Data To Estimate Fecal Contamination in Estuarine Waters , ACS ES&T Water (2026)
• High‐Resolution Soil Total Phosphorus Mapping for the Conterminous USA Using Machine Learning , Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences (2026)
• Community-Based Approaches Highlight Opportunities and Limitations in Addressing Socioeconomic Barriers to Water Quality Monitoring in the United States , (2025)
• Data from: High-resolution soil total phosphorus mapping for the conterminous USA using machine learning , Open MIND (2025)
• Day-ahead statistical forecasting of algal bloom risk to support reservoir release decisions in a highly engineered watershed , Journal of Environmental Management (2025)
• Forecasting interannual abundance of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) , Environmental Entomology (2025)
• Gaps in U.S. livestock data are a barrier to effective environmental and disease management , Environmental Research Letters (2025)
• In-season yield forecasting using multitemporal remote sensing environmental observations and machine learning: Applications for sweetpotato in North Carolina, USA , European Journal of Agronomy (2025)
• Quantifying Summer Internal Phosphorus Loading in Large Lakes across the United States , Environmental Science & Technology (2025)
• See Salt: Recommendations for engaging oyster growers in community-based coastal monitoring programs , Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (2025)