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Dr. Thomas Bianchi Publishes New Book ,

Dr. Thomas Bianchi, Jon and Beverly Thompson Endowed Chair of Geological Sciences, recently published a book titled Deltas and Humans. Bianchi, UF Water Institute Affiliate Faculty member, specializes in global carbon cycling working in coastal, riverine, and ocean environments.

Deltas and Humans focuses on human interaction with major deltas in relation to carbon cycling and sediments. The book is aimed towards an audience with a generalized science background.

Bianchi hopes this book will help individuals understand the intrinsic connections that exist throughout riverine areas. “There is a very sensitive relationship between what we do in altering the watersheds of big rivers and what happens at the coastline,” says Bianchi.

As major rivers flow through numerous countries, Bianchi’s book warns of the future “water wars” due to conflicting interests and demands. “This flow to the delta is really changing,” said Bianchi. “People are extracting more water for damming needs, agricultural needs and population growth. As climate changes, the availability of water is going to become a much more important thing than people realize.”

One of the ironies highlighted in Deltas and Humans is the critical usage of deltas in the development of early civilizations which contrasts to the lack of stability in similar delta regions today. This lack of stability in delta regions has a personal connection to Bianchi as he was personally affected by Hurricane Katrina during his time as faculty at Tulane University, where he lived on the largest delta in the U.S.

Beyond studying these crucial interactions, Bianchi also has additional expertise in organic geochemistry and biogeochemical dynamics of aquatic food chains. He has published 5 other books, has over 180 publications, two Fulbright Research Scholarships, and was made a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2013. Bianchi looks forward to his future involvement with other faculty as he grows his connection to the UF Water Institute.

For more information about Deltas and Humans, visit Oxford University Press.