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Coastal Ecogeomorphology Lab

Lab Director Matt KirwanThe Coastal Ecogeomorphology Lab is dedicated to understanding how coastal landscapes respond to sea level rise. Our research combines principles of geomorphology and ecology and largely takes place along the rural coasts that surround the Chesapeake Bay. Knowledge of “ecogeomorphic feedbacks” between plants and sediment allows us to better identify ecological resilience, predict coastal vulnerability, and optimize land management.

Information for prospective lab members

We are always interested in having new people participate in our research. We're currently recruiting a graduate student for Fall 2027! Please [[v|kirwan,contact Matt Kirwan directly]] to discuss your interests.

Meet the Team

Research Projects

Beachground Swamp

Marsh Migration

LTER Girdling

LTER

Researcher in a marsh holds sediment core

Carbon Sequestration

A group of researchers in field gear in a pine forest.

Saltwater Intrustion

An aerial of a sprawling beachground swamp.

Ecological and geomorphic implications of marsh migration in Chesapeake Bay

Coastal wetlands are among the most valuable and vulnerable ecosystems on Earth. Marsh migration is particularly important in the Chesapeake Bay because traditional restoration strategies are limited by the estuary's low tidal range and suspended sediment supply. The goal of this collaborative research is to increase our understanding of ecological trajectories associated with marsh migration through field work, remote sensing, and numerical modeling.

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Multiple trees with wide rings of bark stripped around the circumference (girdling) for research.

LTER: Environmental drivers and ecosystem state change in a coastal barrier landscape

This project uses long-term data to predict how coastlines will change in response to environmental change. Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research builds on prior research and addresses three themes that test fundamental theories of ecosystem state change and spatial ecology: 1) mechanism and consequences of state change within ecosystems; 2) connectivity and coupled dynamics between ecosystems; and 3) landscape-scale dynamics of ecosystem function, synchrony, and stability.

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Left image, a researcher in a marsh holding a soil core sample. Right image, a close-up of a soil coring tool with a sediment layer.

Facilitating marsh migration to enhance carbon sequestration

This project studies whether breaching berms can help coastal marshes migrate inland and increase carbon sequestration along the Virginia Atlantic Coast. Researchers will measure changes in soils, hydrology, vegetation, sediment, and plant biomass to evaluate restoration success and better understand how saltwater intrusion affects ecosystem health and greenhouse gas balances.

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A group of researchers in field gear in a pine forest.

Long-term ecosystem response to saltwater intrusion in retreating coastal forests

Saltwater intrusion is driving the transgression of ecosystems to more inland portions of the coastal landscape, creating “ghost forests” that consist of dead trees adjacent to tidal marshes and are among the most prominent visual indicators of sea level rise. The fundamental restructuring of coastal vegetation from trees to marsh has large implications for coastal sustainability, including forest resources, flood mitigation, and carbon cycling. Our long-term surveys along the mid-Atlantic sea level rise hotspot will be used to determine 1) the pace and extent of ecosystem change, 2) the role of drought and storms in punctuating long-term trends, and 3) how ecosystem change influences soil and biomass carbon stocks.

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