Dr. Robbie Iles

Bio

Dr. Robert Iles is a senior research scientist at the LSU Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI), where he leads a program focused on oceanography and geospatial intelligence. His doctoral research involved novel applications of machine learning methods to underwater buoyancy glider datasets and the development of new algorithms for characterizing dissolved organic matter as measured by fluorescence sensors. His MS research was focused on satellite oceanography, specifically ocean color analysis of sediment movement within an estuary. Prior to graduate studies, Dr. Iles received a BS in Geography from LSU and worked as a GIS analyst for SDMI.

Research Interests

As ocean observing technologies become increasingly advanced, Dr. Iles has expertise in the development of novel methods for analyzing the complex datasets that have arisen. He has employed machine learning methods to identify water masses, while simultaneously highlighting areas of potentially distinct microbial communities, as revealed by data from autonomous underwater vehicles. Using excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy, Dr. Iles has established algorithms for estimating chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) parameters in glider and towfish data; CDOM modeling in this way has been done with the goal of further characterizing the relationship between river-derived CDOM and coastal hypoxia. Additionally, Dr. Iles has developed satellite sensor water quality monitoring algorithms, the methods of which could be similarly applied to unmanned aerial vehicle sensors. Dr. Iles also has long-term experience with GIS, which supplements his research interests in oceanography, particularly within the fields of ocean observing technology data science, remote sensing, and marine geospatial intelligence, including the littoral zone.

Theses

MSc Thesis: Development and Application of a MODIS Inorganic Sediment Model during the 2016 Mississippi River Diversion in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

Ph.D. Dissertation: Diagnosing CDOM Dynamics in a River-Dominated Coastal Margin: Application to the Texas- Louisiana Shelf using Machine-Learning and Autonomous Vehicles

Current and Select Publications

Iles, R. L., Walker, N. D., White, J. R., & Rohli, R. V. (2021). Impacts of a major Mississippi River freshwater diversion on suspended sediment plume kinematics in Lake Pontchartrain, a semi-enclosed Gulf of Mexico Estuary. Estuaries and Coasts, 44, 704-721.

Meyer, M. A., Mitchell, B., Purdum, J. C., Breen, K., & Iles, R. L. (2018). Previous hurricane evacuation decisions and future evacuation intentions among residents of southeast Louisiana. International journal of disaster risk reduction, 31, 1231-1244.

Iles, R. L., DiMarco, S. F., Gold-Bouchot, G., Knap, A. H. Diagnosing coastal processes using machine learning and ocean buoyancy gliders. In review

Iles, R.L., DiMarco, S.F., Gold-Bouchot, G. New models for estimating fluorescent organic matter in river-dominated coastal zones. In progress

Iles, R.L., DiMarco, S.F., Gold-Bouchot, G., Knap, A.H. Influence of terrestrial and marine-derived dissolved organic matter on coastal oxygen dynamics: insights from the Texas-Louisiana shelf region in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In progress