Christopher D'Elia

Christopher Francis D'Elia, Ph.D. is an American marine scientist and biologist, known for his research on coral reefs, estuaries and nutrient pollution by nitrogen.

D'Elia holds a bachelor's degree (1968) from Middlebury College, Phi Beta Kappa, and a Ph.D. (1974) from the University of Georgia. He held postdoctoral positions at the University of California Los Angeles and at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In 1975, he was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Southern California, where he taught Ecology and Evolution. In 1977, he joined the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science faculty as an assistant professor, where he taught Estuarine Ecology and performed research on coral reefs and Chesapeake Bay nutrient dynamics. He took a leave of absence in 1983 to serve as distinguished Ruth Patrick scholar at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and another from 1987-1989 to serve as director of the Biological Oceanography Program at the National Science Foundation. He was subsequently appointed professor and director of the Maryland Sea Grant program. He served as president of the Sea Grant Association on two occasions during his 10-year tenure with Sea Grant. He was President of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation from 1991 to 1993. In 1999, he was appointed as vice president for research at the University at Albany. He later served in several administrative roles at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, including interim regional vice chancellor where he led all academic programs. In 2009, he joined the faculty at Louisiana State University, where he was named as dean of the School of the Coast and Environment. At LSU, he has taught Marine Biology, World’s Deltas, and Energy and Environment for which he co-authored a eponymous textbook with David Dismukes and Brian Snyder. He has authored or coauthored over 80 scientific papers and books.

He has received numerous honors and distinctions such as his election in 1992 as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2014 the University of Georgia Graduate School gave D'Elia their Alumni of Distinction Award. In 2025, he won the Lipsey Family Teaching Award at LSU.

He has served on numerous governing boards and advisory panels during his career is now active on several non-profit boards including Opera Louisiane, the Baton Rouge Opera Guild, and Jason Learning. He has been a member of Rotary International since 2010 and was elected to membership of the Cosmos Club in 1994.