Mortazavi’s research specializes in hydrology and biogeochemistry. Specifically, he studies the impact of urbanization and climate change on watersheds. One of his recent studies explored the effects of sea level rise and urbanization on coastal marsh loss in Alabama’s Mobile Bay by evaluating satellite and aerial images from 1984 to 2019. His paper revealed a loss of about 30 percent of saltwater marshes in that area over the 30+ years. With marshes being a critical component to the health of the bay as they remove excess nutrients from freshwater entering the bay, stabilize the shoreline, buffer waves, gird against coastal flooding and serve as habitats for wildlife, the study provides policy makers with critical information as they work to protect and restore ecosystems.

Biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on how naturally occurring perturbation and anthropogenic activities are impacting the transformations of carbon and nitrogen.

Hydrology and biogeochemistry

Mortazavi has authored or co-authored over 60 peer reviewed publications and his research lab has been supported by over $2 million in federal funding. Among his professional appointments and affiliations, he has served as a program director and interagency liaison for the National Science Foundation and is a member of the Ecological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography and the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.