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Matt Kirwan homepage

Matt Kirwan

Professor

Email: [[kirwan]]
Phone: (804) 684-7054
Office: Andrews Hall 229
Section: Coastal & Ocean Processes
Interests: Coastal landscape evolution, geomorphology, ecology
Links: {{https://mattkirwanmarsh.com/, Lab Website}}, {{https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0nW57DUAAAAJ&hl=en, Google Scholar}}

Education

  • B.S., William and Mary, 2002
  • Ph.D., Duke University, 2007

About

I aim to better understand how physical, biological, and anthropogenic processes influence the evolution of coastal landscapes. Most of my work takes place in salt marshes and other coastal environments, where knowledge of these “eco-geomorphic” feedbacks is often important for human welfare and ecosystem management. This work currently focuses on applying concepts of eco-geomorphology to better predict: 1) how coasts respond to sea level rise, 2) carbon-climate feedbacks, and 3) the impact of humans on coastal resilience.

I study the impact of sea level rise on coastal ecosystems and their carbon pools. My research connects principles of geomorphology and ecology, and takes place largely in the marshes, forests, swamps, and rural communities that surround the Chesapeake Bay. I am a past recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award (2017) and Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2019), a contributing author to the United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (2021), and a longtime consultant on activities surrounding the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. I currently reside with my wife and two children on Hell Neck in Gloucester, VA and am an enrolled member of the Nause Waiwash Band of Indians on my family’s native Eastern Shore.