Studying the formation and survival of coastal landscape from geological and ecological perspectives
The Coastal Ecogeomorphology lab is...
I'm always interested in having graduate students, visiting scientists and undergraduate students participate in our research. We are currently recruiting a graduate student for Fall 2027! Please [[v|kirwan,contact Matt Kirwan directly]] to discuss your interests.
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 numberical modeling.
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.
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.
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.
