How will coastal ecosystems respond to climate change impacts?
Coastal wetlands are highly valuable ecosystems that provide humans with a vast array of goods and services. Despite the importance of these systems and because they are at the dynamic, sensitive interface of land and sea, coastal wetlands are highly susceptible to natural and anthropogenic forces. Climate change impacts, such as increasing temperatures, accelerated sea level rise, and a change in the frequency and intensity of storm events all play a role in the fate of these ecosystems. In addition to these impacts, coastal wetlands are experiencing large-scale latitudinal species range shifts in the form of poleward mangrove range expansion across the globe. I seek to uncover the ecological implications associated with these climate change impacts. Currently, my work puts me at the intersection of ecology and geography, with increasing interest in ecosystem service evaluation and applications to coastal wetland management.
