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Melissa Foley
Program Science Director
Resilient Landscapes Program
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Areas of Expertise

Resilient Landscapes Program
Urban Nature
Habitat Assessment & Monitoring
Sediment
WRAMP
Regional Monitoring Programs
The Bay Area Urban Nature Collaborative

Education & Credentials

PhD

Contact Info

[email protected]
phone
(510)746-7345

Background

Melissa Foley is Science Director of the Resilient Landscapes Program at SFEI. She has extensive experience working in interdisciplinary teams on a wide range of topics, including ecosystem change and resilience, spatial planning, cross-habitat connectivity,  dam removal, cumulative effects, long-term monitoring, and ecosystem-based management. Melissa received her B.S. from Oregon State University and her PhD from the University of California Santa Cruz.

Highlighted Work at SFEI

PUBLICATIONS

PROJECTS

NEWS & EVENTS

 

Publications

 

Stoneburner, L; Foley, MM; Jaffe, C; Harris, K. 2025. Regional Framework for the Next Generation of Urban Greening. SFEI Contribution No. 1276. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA. p. 91.
Zi, T; Whipple, A; Kauhanen, P; Foley, MM. 2025. From site-scale to landscape-scale: stormwater benefits of urban trees with SWMM-Canopy. Urban Water Journal, 16.
Plane, E; Braud, A; Lowe, J; Iknayan, K; Foley, MM. 2024. Baylands Resilience Metrics: Wildlife Support, Flood Attenuation, and Sediment Placement Feasibility. SFEI Contribution No. 1178. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Avellaneda, PM; Stoneburner, L; Foley, MM. 2024. Watershed Plan: a case study approach to incorporating multiple benefits into green stormwater infrastructure planning. SFEI Contribution No. 1278. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA. p. 61.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Buzby, N. 2024. Selenium Concentrations in Water and Clams in North San Francisco Bay, 2019-2020. SFEI Contribution No. 1116. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Sutton, R; Yee, D. 2024. A Revised Design of the Status and Trends Monitoring Element of the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay. SFEI Contribution No. 1108. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
McKee, LJ; Peterson, D; Braud, A; Foley, MM; Dusterhoff, SD; Lowe, J; King, A; Davis, JA. 2023. San Francisco Bay Sediment Modeling and Monitoring Workplan. SFEI Contribution No. 1100. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
McKnight, K; Braud, A; Dusterhoff, SD; Grenier, L; Shaw, S; Lowe, J; Foley, MM; McKee, LJ. 2023. Conceptual Understanding of Fine Sediment Transport in San Francisco Bay. SFEI Contribution No. 1114. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Yee, D. 2023. Multi-Year Plan 2023. SFEI Contribution No. 1096. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, California.
Zi, T; Braud, A; McKee, LJ; Foley, MM. 2022. San Francisco Bay Watershed Dynamic Model (WDM) Progress Report, Phase 2. SFEI Contribution No. 1091. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, California.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA. 2022. Charter: Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay. SFEI Contribution No. 1184. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM. 2022. 2023 Detailed Workplan and Budget. SFEI Contribution No. 1117. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, California.
Davis, JA; Foley, MM; Askevold, RA; Sutton, R; Senn, DB; Plane, E. 2022. The Pulse of the Bay 2022: 50 Years After the Clean Water Act. SFEI Contribution No. 1095. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, California.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Yee, D. 2022. 2022 RMP Detailed Workplan and Budget. SFEI Contribution No. 1183. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM. 2022. 2022 RMP Multi-Year Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 1058. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, California.
Davis, JA; Foley, MM; Askevold, RA; Chelsky, A; Dusterhoff, SD; Gilbreath, A; Lin, D; Yee, D; Senn, DB; Sutton, R. 2021. RMP Update 2021. SFEI Contribution No. 1057.
Foley, MM; Sutton, R; Yee, D; Salop, P. 2021. 2021 RMP Water Cruise Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 1050. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, California.
Zi, T; McKee, LJ; Yee, D; Foley, MM. 2021. San Francisco Bay Regional Watershed Modeling Progress Report, Phase 1. SFEI Contribution No. 1038. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Ellisor, D; Buzby, N; Weaver, M; Foley, MM; Pugh, R. 2021. The San Francisco Estuary Institute Collection at the NIST Biorepository. SFEI Contribution No. 1039. National Institute of Standards and Technology: Gaithersburg, MD.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Yee, D. 2021. 2021 RMP Detailed Workplan and Budget. SFEI Contribution No. 1182. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM. 2021. 2021 RMP Multi-Year Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 1027. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
McKee, LJ; Lowe, J; Dusterhoff, SD; Foley, MM; Shaw, S. 2020. Sediment Monitoring and Modeling Strategy. SFEI Contribution No. 1016. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Davis, JA; Foley, MM; Askevold, RA; Buzby, N; Chelsky, A; Dusterhoff, SD; Gilbreath, A; Lin, D; Miller, E; Senn, DB; Sutton, R. 2020. RMP Update 2020. SFEI Contribution No. 1008.
Brander, S et al. 2020. Sampling and Quality Assurance and Quality Control: A Guide for Scientists Investigating the Occurrence of Microplastics Across Matrices. Applied Spectroscopy, 74.
Foley, MM; Christian, E; Goeden, B; Ross, B. 2020. Expert review of the sediment screening guidelines for the beneficial reuse of dredged material in San Francisco Bay. SFEI Contribution No. 978. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Buzby, N; Yee, D; Salop, P; Foley, MM. 2020. 2019 RMP North Bay Selenium Monitoring Sampling and Analysis Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 969. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Buzby, N; Yee, D; Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Sigala, M; Bonnema, A. 2020. 2019 Sport Fish Monitoring Sampling and Analysis Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 970. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM. 2019. 2020 RMP Multi-Year Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 959. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM; Davis, JA; Yee, D. 2019. 2019 RMP Annual Workplan and Budget. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.
Foley, MM. 2019. 2019 Bay RMP Multi-Year Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 940. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Richmond, CA.