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Ryan Emanuel

Professor of Hydrology in the Division of Environmental Social Systems
Environmental Social Systems
9 Circuit Dr., Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Ryan Emanuel is a hydrologist and community-engaged scholar from North Carolina. He studies ecohydrology, biogeosciences, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights. Emanuel leads a group of researchers and scholars who study water and watery places - including Indigenous peoples’ cultural attachments to these places. His group partners with Native American Tribes and other communities to understand environmental change through the lenses of environmental justice and Indigenous rights. Their work involves a complementary mix of research, education, and relationship-building. Through all of this work, Emanuel and his group aim to amplify voices of Indigenous and other marginalized communities who shoulder disproportionate environmental burdens and who have been largely excluded from decision-making about the future of their home lands and waters. Emanuel is a long-time member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the American Geophysical Union. He has served on national scientific boards as well as state and local boards focused on American Indian education.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Hydrology in the Division of Environmental Social Systems · 2026 - Present Environmental Social Systems, Nicholas School of the Environment

Recent News Items


Published November 20, 2025
The Stories Behind Ghost Forests in North Carolina
Published May 13, 2025
WFAE Charlotte Talks
Trump supports full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe. What does the path forward look like?
Published March 13, 2025
Prism
In North Carolina, Trump administration’s anti-climate deregulation agenda comes to a head

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Recent Scholarly Works


Surface Elevation Trends in Natural and Restored Coastal Forested Wetlands Reveal Vulnerability to Saltwater Intrusion and Sea Level Rise

Journal article Estuaries and Coasts · March 1, 2026 Accelerating sea level rise and increasing frequency of storms are impacting coastal wetlands. Similar to salt marshes, coastal freshwater wetlands provide important flood protection and storm abatement services, but their capacity to keep up with sea leve ... Full text Cite

Water quality and hydrologic connectivity in rural communities around the Manombo Special Reserve of southeastern Madagascar during the dry season

Journal article Environmental Challenges · December 1, 2025 This study establishes a cross-sectional understanding of the water quality and hydrologic connectivity during the dry season among rural communities near the Manombo Special Reserve along the coast of the Atsimo-Atsinanana region of southeastern Madagasca ... Full text Cite

Overlooked and extensive ghost forest formation across the US Atlantic coast

Journal article Nature Sustainability · December 1, 2025 Rising sea levels have driven widespread coastal tree die-off, forming large swaths of standing dead trees known as ‘ghost forests’. While reports of coastal forest loss are accumulating, its true severity and factors determining the underlying mortality r ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Developing Scalable, Multi-sensor Water Quality Observations for Optimized Estuarine Shellfish Sanitation Management

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina State University · 2026 - 2029

Tribal Coastal Resilience Connections Phase II

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by NC Department of Environmental Quality · 2024 - 2026

THELORACS: Tree Health Evaluated using LiDAR, Optical, and Radar Applications across Coastal Systems

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Virginia - Charlottesville · 2022 - 2026

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Education


University of Virginia · 2007 Ph.D.