Speaker: Patrick Megonigal, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Deputy Director, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Coastal wetlands protect our homes and help keep our waters clean. They also have fascinating abilities to build elevation in the face of accelerated sea-level rise. However, it’s unclear if the host of global changes today will help or hijack the systems that keep them afloat. Rising carbon dioxide, nitrogen and new species all impact plant productivity—a key way marshes build soil. Dams and other development can also jeopardize marshes’ ability to trap sediment and migrate inland. Dr. Megonigal will summarize three decades of research into how wetlands are responding to climate change, and how society and economics are shaping their future.