Meagan J. Eagle , PhD

 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.