People | John L. Gallagher

• B.S., Agriculture, University of Delaware, 1957.
• M.S., Agronomy, University of Delaware, 1959.
• Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, 1971.

Halophyte Biotechnology Center

Wetland ecology and restoration; salt tolerant plants (halophytes), physiology, biochemistry and biotechnology; halophyte agronomy (halophytes) and tissue culture.

• Development of halophytic crop and sustainable wetlands during rapid climate change.
• Salt tolerance mechanisms
• Salt marsh development
• Click here for more information on current projects

• Dr. Denise M. Seliskar, Research Scientist, Marine Biosciences. (Ph.D., Marine Studies, University of Delaware, 1986). Research interests: Sand dune and wetland plant physiological ecology; salt marsh and sand dune restoration; halophyte tissue culture, salt tolerance mechanism 
• Nicole Voutsina, M.S. Student (B.S. Biology, University of Delaware 2009). Research interest:  sustainable wetlands during rapid climate change.
• Donna Hamilton,  Limited term Research (B.S. Agriculture, University of Delaware 2008).  Research interest:  Halophyte agriculture.

Topics in Halophyte Biology, Ecosystem Modelling, Comparative Wetland Ecology
MAST 629 Wetlands Restoration Ecology: Goals, Techniques, and Regulations
MAST 667-010 Marine Ethnobotany

Elsey, T., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2011. Nitrogen pools of macrophyte species in a coastal lagoon salt marsh: Implications for seasonal storage and dispersal. Estuaries and Coasts, in press.

Halchak, J.L., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2011. Root system architecture of Kosteletzkya pentacarpos (Malvaceae) and belowground environmental influences on root and aerial growth dynamics. American Journal of Botany 98: 163-174

Elsey, T., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2011. Salt marsh carbon pool distribution in a mid-Atlantic lagoon, USA: Sea level rise implications. Wetlands 31: 87-99

Gallagher, J.L. 2009. Improving wetland plants: a good, bad or "it depends" idea? National Wetlands Newsletter, Vol 31 No. 1

Ruan, C.J., H. Li, Y.Q. Guo, P. Qin, J.L. Gallagher, D.M. Seliskar, S. Lutts and G. Mahy.  2008.  Kosteletzkya virginia, an agroengineering halophyte species for alternative agricultural production in China's east coast:  Ecological adapations and benefits, reed yield, oil content, fatty acid and biodiesel properties.  Ecological Engineering 32: 320-328.

Rudrappa, T., J. Bonsall, J.L. Gallahger, D.M. Seliskar, and H.P. Bais. 2007 Root-secreted allelochemical in the noxious weed Phragmites australis deploys a reactive oxygen species response and microtubule assembly disruption to execute rhizotoxicity. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33: 1898-1918.

League, M.T., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher.  2007.  Predicting the effectiveness of Phragmites control measures using a rhizome growth potential bioassay. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 15:27-41.

Wang, J-B, D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2007.  Growth of tissue culture regenerated plants in a simulated marsh field plot: Implications for wetland creation and restoration. Ecological Engineering, 29:8-16.

Wang, J-B, M.T. League, D.M. Seliskar DM, and J.L. Gallagher.  2006.   Blocking Phragmites australis reinvasion of restored marshes using plants selected from wild populations and tissue culture. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 14:539-547.

League, M.T., E.P. Colbert, D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2006. Rhizome growth dynamics of native and exotic haplotypes of Phragmites australis (common reed). Estuaries and Coasts, 29:269-76.

Gallagher, J.L. and D.M. Seliskar. 2006. Three Spartina sisters: Holding Delaware marshes together. Estuary News 16 (2):6-15.

Seliskar, D.M. and J.L. Gallagher. 2005. Tidal creek surface film structural and metabolic dynamics. Estuaries, 28: 353-363.

Wang, J., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2005. Tissue culture and plant regeneration of the salt marsh monocots Juncus roemerianus and Juncus gerardii . In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology – Plant, 41:274-280.

Wu, J., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2005. The response of plasma membrane lipid composition in callus of the halophyte Spartina patens (Poaceae) to salinity stress. American Journal of Botany, 92: 852-858.

Seliskar, D.M., K.E. Smart, B.T. Higashikubo, and J.L. Gallagher. 2004. Seedling sulfide sensitivity among plant species colonizing Phragmites-infested wetlands. Wetlands, 24: 426-433.

Wang, J., D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2004. Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis in the brackish wetland monocot Scirpus robustus. Aquatic Botany, 79:163-174.

He, Z., C. Ruan, P. Qin, D.M. Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 2003. Kosteletzkya virginica, a halophytic species with potential for agroecotechnology in Jiangsu province, China. Ecological Engineering 21: 271-276.

Graves, W.R. and J.L. Gallagher. 2003. Resistance to salinity of Alnus maritima from disjunct wetlands: Symptoms of salt injury, comparison to other shrubs, and effect of inundation. Wetlands 23:394-405.

Wang, J.B., D.M. Seliskar, J.L. Gallagher. 2003. Tissue culture and plant regeneration of Spartina alterniflora: Implication for wetland restoration. Wetlands 23: 386-393.

Seliskar, D.M., J.L. Gallagher, D.M. Burdick, and L.M. Mutz. 2002. The regulation of ecosystem functions by ecotypic variation in the dominant plant: A Spartina alterniflora salt marsh case study. Journal of Ecology 90: 1-11.

Seliskar, D.M. and J.L. Gallagher. 2000. Exploiting wild population diversity and somaclonal variation in the salt marsh grass Distichlis spicata (Poaceae) for marsh creation and restoration. American Journal of Botany 87: 141-146.

Gallagher, J.L. 1998. Ecology and status of tidal wetlands in North America. In: Ecology of Wetlands and Associated Systems, S.K. Majumdar, E.W. Miller and F.J. Brenner (Eds.), pp. 47-59. The Pennsylvania Academy of Science, Easton, PA.

Wu, J., D.M.Seliskar, and J.L. Gallagher. 1998. Stress tolerance in the marsh plant Spartina patens: Impact of NaCl on growth and root plasma membrane lipid composition. Physiologia Plantarum 102: 307-317.

Li, X., J.L. Gallagher. 1996. Expression of Foreign Genes, GUS and hygromycin resistance, in the halophyte Kosteletzkya virginia in response to bombardment with the Particle Inflow Gun. Journal of Experimental Botany 47: 1437-1447.

Wijte, A.H.B.M. and J.L. Gallagher. 1996. Effect of oxygen availability and salinity on early life history stages of salt marsh plants. I. Different germination strategies of Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis (Poaceae). Amer. J. Bot. 83: 1337-1342.

• Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Ph.D. 2010, Postdoctoral Fellow, Patrick Center for Environmental Research, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA
• Jennifer Halchak, M.S. 2010, Watershed Specialist, Washington County Conservation District, Washington, PA
• Jinglan Wu, Ph.D. 1997, The Dupont Company, Wilmington, DE
• Kathleen Blits, Ph.D., 1990, Tutor St. Johns College, Annapolis, MD
• Laurie Mutz Brundage, M.S.,1995
• Sherri Cooper (Rumer), M. S., 1982, Associate Professor, Bryn Athyn College of New Church,  Bryn Athyn, PA
• Lisa Donovan, M.S., 1983, Professor, University of Georgia,  Department of Botany, Athens, Georgia 30602
• Barry Dubinski, Ph.D., 1987, Technical Writer-Manager, Weston Solutions, Inc., West Chester, PA
• Jennifer Halchak, M.S. 2009
• Samuel Hellings M.S. 1990, Research Biologist, BMS Pharmaceutical Research Inst., Pennington, NJ 08534
• Xianggan Li, Ph.D., 1995, Research Scientist, Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., Research Triangle Pk., NC
• Kurt Philipp, Ph.D., 1988, President, Wetlands Research Services, Newark, DE
• R. Michael Smart, Ph.D., 1986, Ecologist, USAE WES, Aquatic Ecosystem Res. Facility, Lewisville, TX
• Peter Straub, M.S., 1985; Ph.D., 1990, Associate Professor, Richard Stockton College, Pomona, NJ
• Cecelia Linder, M.S., 2005, NOAA National Marine Fisheries, Office of Habitat Conservation Restoration Center, Silver Spring, MD
• Jiangbo Wang, Ph.D., 2005, Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University, Durham NC
• Tamara Saltman, M.S., 1999, USEPA Headquarters, Washington, DC
• Antonia H.B.M. Wijte, Ph.D., 1996, Assistant Professor, California State University-LB, Long Beach, CA