The soil core (top) was collected from Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA, which was restored in 2008. From this soil core, scientists recreated the elevation of the marsh surface over the past 100 years, as well as how quickly elevation changed.
Meagan J. Eagle , PhD
My research lies at the interface of land and sea and is used to build new tools to address coastal hazards. This dynamic region is experiencing rapid change, with new pressures from rising temperatures and sea level adding to those already wrought by the impacts of coastal development.
I utilize a suite of geochemical tools, including naturally occurring radioisotopes in the Uranium-Thorium decay series, to understand both the magnitude and rate of change within coastal ecosystems. In particular, I am interested in how salt marshes have responded to a century of accelerating sea level rise, with a focus on their ability to store carbon and dynamically build elevation. I combine historical ecosystem information, gleaned from analysis of salt marsh peat, with modern environmental drivers to constrain future ecosystem responses.
I studied geology at Stanford University (BS/MS) and received a PhD in Chemical Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. There I studied groundwater discharge and associated chemical fluxes. Between going to school, I did a Fulbright Fellowship in Mauritius and worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I came to the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center of the US Geological Survey in 2013 and have worked on coastal wetland and groundwater projects across the US.
Science and Products
Quantifying Restoration Impacts of Wetland Ecosystem Health and Carbon Export
USGS is investigating the impact of restoration on Louisiana's coastal wetlands' carbon dynamics.
Coastal Responses to Sea-Level Rise: Landscape-Scale Understanding in an Uncertain Future
Rising sea levels and frequent intense storms are rapidly changing Northeastern US coastal landscapes and threatening the vital ecosystem services they provide. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will use landscape models, co-developed with coastal managers and tribal managers, to predict expected coastal changes for different environments (e.g., beaches, wetlands, rocky headland
Sea level Rise and Carbon Cycle Processes in Managed Coastal Wetlands
The U.S. Geological Survey is working to inform decision makers at Federal land management agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, state government agencies and private entities, on the role of coastal wetlands in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This includes assessing opportunities for ecosystem restoration to enhance soil carbon sequestration...
Environmental Geochemistry
Coastal Environmental Geochemistry research at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center spans multiple ecosystems and topics, including coastal wetlands, aquifers, and estuaries, with the goal of providing data and guidance to federal, state, local, and private land owners and managers on these vital ecosystems.
Soil Core, Yarmouth, MA
The soil core (top) was collected from Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA, which was restored in 2008. From this soil core, scientists recreated the elevation of the marsh surface over the past 100 years, as well as how quickly elevation changed.
Aerial photo of estuary
Aerial view of a gas flux tower in Great Barnstable Marsh in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Aerial view of a gas flux tower in Great Barnstable Marsh in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Soil core from coastal wetland
Scientists collect soil cores in coastal wetland by removing a section of peat, the organic-rich material that makes up salt marshes. After the soil is removed, water quickly fills in the void. This water-logged environment underground is devoid of oxygen and is an important reason that salt marsh peat preserves a record of historical changes.
Scientists collect soil cores in coastal wetland by removing a section of peat, the organic-rich material that makes up salt marshes. After the soil is removed, water quickly fills in the void. This water-logged environment underground is devoid of oxygen and is an important reason that salt marsh peat preserves a record of historical changes.
Meagan Eagle, USGS Research Scientist, collecting elevation points in Quivett Creek, Brewster, MA
linkMeagan Eagle, Research Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, collects an elevation point along the edge of Quivett Creek in Brewster, MA. This salt marsh was restored in 2005 by replacing a narrow culvert to allow full tidal flow once again.
Meagan Eagle, USGS Research Scientist, collecting elevation points in Quivett Creek, Brewster, MA
linkMeagan Eagle, Research Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, collects an elevation point along the edge of Quivett Creek in Brewster, MA. This salt marsh was restored in 2005 by replacing a narrow culvert to allow full tidal flow once again.
Bass Creek Salt Marsh, Yarmouth, MA
Salt marsh grass grows in the restored marsh at Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA.
Salt marsh grass grows in the restored marsh at Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA.
Bass Creek salt marsh, Yarmouth, MA
Two USGS scientists measure elevation at Bass Creek salt marsh, Yarmouth, MA.
Two USGS scientists measure elevation at Bass Creek salt marsh, Yarmouth, MA.
Science and Products
Quantifying Restoration Impacts of Wetland Ecosystem Health and Carbon Export
USGS is investigating the impact of restoration on Louisiana's coastal wetlands' carbon dynamics.
Coastal Responses to Sea-Level Rise: Landscape-Scale Understanding in an Uncertain Future
Rising sea levels and frequent intense storms are rapidly changing Northeastern US coastal landscapes and threatening the vital ecosystem services they provide. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will use landscape models, co-developed with coastal managers and tribal managers, to predict expected coastal changes for different environments (e.g., beaches, wetlands, rocky headland
Sea level Rise and Carbon Cycle Processes in Managed Coastal Wetlands
The U.S. Geological Survey is working to inform decision makers at Federal land management agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, state government agencies and private entities, on the role of coastal wetlands in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This includes assessing opportunities for ecosystem restoration to enhance soil carbon sequestration...
Environmental Geochemistry
Coastal Environmental Geochemistry research at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center spans multiple ecosystems and topics, including coastal wetlands, aquifers, and estuaries, with the goal of providing data and guidance to federal, state, local, and private land owners and managers on these vital ecosystems.
Soil Core, Yarmouth, MA
The soil core (top) was collected from Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA, which was restored in 2008. From this soil core, scientists recreated the elevation of the marsh surface over the past 100 years, as well as how quickly elevation changed.
The soil core (top) was collected from Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA, which was restored in 2008. From this soil core, scientists recreated the elevation of the marsh surface over the past 100 years, as well as how quickly elevation changed.
Aerial photo of estuary
Aerial view of a gas flux tower in Great Barnstable Marsh in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Aerial view of a gas flux tower in Great Barnstable Marsh in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Soil core from coastal wetland
Scientists collect soil cores in coastal wetland by removing a section of peat, the organic-rich material that makes up salt marshes. After the soil is removed, water quickly fills in the void. This water-logged environment underground is devoid of oxygen and is an important reason that salt marsh peat preserves a record of historical changes.
Scientists collect soil cores in coastal wetland by removing a section of peat, the organic-rich material that makes up salt marshes. After the soil is removed, water quickly fills in the void. This water-logged environment underground is devoid of oxygen and is an important reason that salt marsh peat preserves a record of historical changes.
Meagan Eagle, USGS Research Scientist, collecting elevation points in Quivett Creek, Brewster, MA
linkMeagan Eagle, Research Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, collects an elevation point along the edge of Quivett Creek in Brewster, MA. This salt marsh was restored in 2005 by replacing a narrow culvert to allow full tidal flow once again.
Meagan Eagle, USGS Research Scientist, collecting elevation points in Quivett Creek, Brewster, MA
linkMeagan Eagle, Research Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, collects an elevation point along the edge of Quivett Creek in Brewster, MA. This salt marsh was restored in 2005 by replacing a narrow culvert to allow full tidal flow once again.
Bass Creek Salt Marsh, Yarmouth, MA
Salt marsh grass grows in the restored marsh at Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA.
Salt marsh grass grows in the restored marsh at Bass Creek, Yarmouth, MA.
Bass Creek salt marsh, Yarmouth, MA
Two USGS scientists measure elevation at Bass Creek salt marsh, Yarmouth, MA.
Two USGS scientists measure elevation at Bass Creek salt marsh, Yarmouth, MA.