Xie, Danghan

As the adage goes, teaching people to fish is more valuable than merely providing them with a fish. Dr. Xie’s teaching philosophy is rooted in a learning-centered approach that emphasizes curiosity, critical thinking, and active engagement. He encourages students to ask questions, explore concepts independently, and develop their own interpretations rather than rely solely on direct instruction. His classes incorporate guided inquiry, collaborative problem-solving, and group discussions to help students connect theory with real-world environmental processes. As a mentor, he tailors his guidance to each student’s background and career goals, building strong foundational skills for undergraduates, cultivating research insights for master’s students, and fostering independence and scientific leadership for doctoral trainees. Overall, he aims to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment that empowers students to become thoughtful, creative, and collaborative scientists.

Dr. Xie’s research focuses on the morphodynamics of coastal systems and how they evolve under interacting physical, ecological, and human drivers. He combines numerical modeling, field observations, airborne lidar, and geospatial data science to investigate bio-physical feedback in coastal wetlands, shoreline stability, and large-scale patterns of coastal cliff retreat. His current work spans bio-morphodynamic modeling of mangrove-saltmarsh systems, process-based simulations of nearshore hydrodynamics and sediment transport, and automated approaches for extracting coastal change from high-resolution lidar. In the long term, Dr. Xie aims to integrate coastal modeling and remote sensing into comprehensive coastal monitoring frameworks, foster interdisciplinary collaborations across ecology, engineering, and climate science, and support resilience strategies through improved understanding of nature-based solutions and coastal adaptation under sea-level rise.

• Gu, Y., Han, G., Geng, L., Xie, B., Zhang, Y., Xie, D., Fagherazzi, S., Zhang, H., Coco, G., and Zhou, Z. (2025). Trade-offs between vegetation and sediment availability in shaping longterm tidal network morphodynamics. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1574276


• Wei, Y., van Maanen, B., Xie, D., Jiang, Q., Zhou, Z., and Schwarz, C. (2024). Mangrove-saltmarsh ecotones: Are species shifts determining eco-morphodynamic landform configurations? Earth's Future, 12(10), e2024EF004990. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EF004990


• Xie, D., Hughes, Z., FitzGerald, D., Tas, S., Asik, T. Z., and Fagherazzi, S. (2024). Longshore sediment transport across a tombolo determined by two adjacent circulation cells. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 129(10), e2024JF007709. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JF007709

• Xie, D., Hughes, Z., FitzGerald, D., Tas, S., Asik, T. Z., and Fagherazzi, S. (2024). Impacts of climate change on coastal hydrodynamics around a headland and potential headland sediment bypassing. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(4), e2023GL105323. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105323


• Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Bryan, R. K., Coco, G., Hunt, S., and van Maanen, B. (2023). Mangrove removal exacerbates estuarine infilling through landscape-scale bio-morphodynamic feedbacks. Nature Communications, 14(1), 7310. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42733-1


• van Hespen, R., Hu, Z., Borsje, B., De Dominicis, M., Friess, D. A., Jevrejeva, S., ..., Xie, D., and Bouma, T. J. (2023). Mangrove forests as a nature-based solution for coastal flood protection: Biophysical and ecological considerations. Water Science and Engineering, 16(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wse.2022.10.004

• Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Kleinhans, M. G., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2022). Implications of coastal conditions and sea-level rise on mangrove vulnerability: A bio-morphodynamic modeling study. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127(3), e2021JF006301. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006301


• Xie, D., Schwarz, C., Brückner, M. Z. M., Kleinhans, M. G., Urrego, D. H., Zhou, Z., and van Maanen, B. (2020). Mangrove diversity loss under sea-level rise triggered by bio-morphodynamic feedbacks and anthropogenic pressures. Environmental Research Letters, 15(11), 114033. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc122  


• Xie, D., Tan, Y., Chu, A., Zhou, T., and van Maanen, B. (2018). Distribution characteristics of the extreme storm tides in the radial sand ridges area of the South Yellow Sea in China. Journal of Coastal Research, 85(sp1), 856-860. https://doi.org/10.2112/SI85-172.1

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Dr. Xie views service as an essential component of academic leadership, one that strengthens university communities, advances scientific collaboration, and supports society’s understanding of coastal change. He is committed to contributing through professional service, community engagement, and interdisciplinary cooperation. His activities include reviewing for leading scientific journals, organizing and convening sessions at international conferences such as the AGU Fall Meeting, and participating in cross-institutional scientific workshops. He also works closely with coastal communities, agencies, and stakeholders to communicate scientific findings, support field initiatives, and inform coastal management decisions. Through these efforts, Dr. Xie aims to promote collaboration, broaden participation in coastal science, and ensure that research insights meaningfully contribute to public understanding and climate-resilient decision-making.