Sara L Zeigler, Ph.D
My research focuses on landscape ecology in coastal systems, with the goal of developing actionable science for the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
Sara Zeigler is a research geographer at the U.S. Geological Survey. She uses landscape modeling, geographic information systems, remote sensing classification, and (non-human) population modeling to better understand how sea-level rise and storms impact coastal species. She is involved in research projects focused on:
- Current and likely future shorebird habitat use and availability in the U.S.
- Long-term storm patterns on early successional habitats in the Outer Banks
- Sea-level rise-driven ecological and geomorphological evolution of barrier islands
- Restoration assessments and decision analysis to support management of coastal species
The results of her work are used to inform coastal management for shorebirds and other coastal species on barrier islands under current habitat conditions and possible future scenarios.
Professional Experience
Research Geographer, USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2018-present
Research Geographer, USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2016-2018
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2014-2016
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2011-2014
Education and Certifications
PhD Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, 2011
MSc Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, University of Maryland, 2006
BA Environmental Science, Franklin and Marshall College, 2004
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Evaluating barrier island characteristics and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) habitat availability along the U.S. Atlantic Coast—Geospatial approaches and methodology Evaluating barrier island characteristics and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) habitat availability along the U.S. Atlantic Coast—Geospatial approaches and methodology
Policy makers, individuals from government agencies, and natural resource managers face increasing demands to manage coastal areas in a way that meets economic, social, and ecological needs as sea levels rise. Scientific knowledge of how coastal processes drive beach and barrier island changes and how those changes affect habitat use can support decision makers as they balance sometimes
Authors
Sara Zeigler, Emily Sturdivant, Benjamin Gutierrez
Using a Bayesian network to understand the importance of coastal storms and undeveloped landscapes for the creation and maintenance of early successional habitat Using a Bayesian network to understand the importance of coastal storms and undeveloped landscapes for the creation and maintenance of early successional habitat
Coastal storms have consequences for human lives and infrastructure but also create important early successional habitats for myriad species. For example, storm-induced overwash creates nesting habitat for shorebirds like piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). We examined how piping plover habitat extent and location changed on barrier islands in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia after...
Authors
Sara Zeigler, Benjamin Gutierrez, Emily Sturdivant, Daniel Catlin, James D. Fraser, A. Hecht, Sarah Karpanty, Nathaniel Plant, E. Thieler
Smartphone technologies and Bayesian networks to assess shorebird habitat selection Smartphone technologies and Bayesian networks to assess shorebird habitat selection
Understanding patterns of habitat selection across a species’ geographic distribution can be critical for adequately managing populations and planning for habitat loss and related threats. However, studies of habitat selection can be time consuming and expensive over broad spatial scales, and a lack of standardized monitoring targets or methods can impede the generalization of site-based...
Authors
Sara Zeigler, E. Thieler, Benjamin Gutierrez, Nathaniel Plant, Megan Hines, James D. Fraser, Daniel Catlin, Sarah Karpanty
Effects of climate change and anthropogenic modification on a disturbance-dependent species in a large riverine system Effects of climate change and anthropogenic modification on a disturbance-dependent species in a large riverine system
Humans have altered nearly every natural disturbance regime on the planet through climate and land-use change, and in many instances, these processes may have interacting effects. For example, projected shifts in temperature and precipitation will likely influence disturbance regimes already affected by anthropogenic fire suppression or river impoundments. Understanding how disturbance...
Authors
Sara Zeigler, Daniel Catlin, M. Bomberger Brown, J.D. Fraser, Lauren Dinan, Kelsi Hunt, Joel Jorgensen, Sarah Karpanty
Smartphone-based distributed data collection enables rapid assessment of shorebird habitat suitability Smartphone-based distributed data collection enables rapid assessment of shorebird habitat suitability
Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. It is difficult to acquire such information; data often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source smartphone...
Authors
E. Thieler, Sara Zeigler, Luke Winslow, Megan Hines, Jordan Read, Jordan Walker
Metapopulation viability of an endangered shorebird depends on dispersal and human-created habitats: Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and prairie rivers Metapopulation viability of an endangered shorebird depends on dispersal and human-created habitats: Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and prairie rivers
Background Many species are distributed as metapopulations in dynamic landscapes, where habitats change through space and time. Individuals locate habitat through dispersal, and the relationship between a species and landscape characteristics can have profound effects on population persistence. Despite the importance of connectivity in dynamic environments, few empirical studies have...
Authors
Daniel Catlin, Sara Zeigler, M. Bomberger Brown, Lauren Dinan, James D. Fraser, Kelsi Hunt, Joel Jorgensen
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Evaluating barrier island characteristics and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) habitat availability along the U.S. Atlantic Coast—Geospatial approaches and methodology Evaluating barrier island characteristics and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) habitat availability along the U.S. Atlantic Coast—Geospatial approaches and methodology
Policy makers, individuals from government agencies, and natural resource managers face increasing demands to manage coastal areas in a way that meets economic, social, and ecological needs as sea levels rise. Scientific knowledge of how coastal processes drive beach and barrier island changes and how those changes affect habitat use can support decision makers as they balance sometimes
Authors
Sara Zeigler, Emily Sturdivant, Benjamin Gutierrez
Using a Bayesian network to understand the importance of coastal storms and undeveloped landscapes for the creation and maintenance of early successional habitat Using a Bayesian network to understand the importance of coastal storms and undeveloped landscapes for the creation and maintenance of early successional habitat
Coastal storms have consequences for human lives and infrastructure but also create important early successional habitats for myriad species. For example, storm-induced overwash creates nesting habitat for shorebirds like piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). We examined how piping plover habitat extent and location changed on barrier islands in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia after...
Authors
Sara Zeigler, Benjamin Gutierrez, Emily Sturdivant, Daniel Catlin, James D. Fraser, A. Hecht, Sarah Karpanty, Nathaniel Plant, E. Thieler
Smartphone technologies and Bayesian networks to assess shorebird habitat selection Smartphone technologies and Bayesian networks to assess shorebird habitat selection
Understanding patterns of habitat selection across a species’ geographic distribution can be critical for adequately managing populations and planning for habitat loss and related threats. However, studies of habitat selection can be time consuming and expensive over broad spatial scales, and a lack of standardized monitoring targets or methods can impede the generalization of site-based...
Authors
Sara Zeigler, E. Thieler, Benjamin Gutierrez, Nathaniel Plant, Megan Hines, James D. Fraser, Daniel Catlin, Sarah Karpanty
Effects of climate change and anthropogenic modification on a disturbance-dependent species in a large riverine system Effects of climate change and anthropogenic modification on a disturbance-dependent species in a large riverine system
Humans have altered nearly every natural disturbance regime on the planet through climate and land-use change, and in many instances, these processes may have interacting effects. For example, projected shifts in temperature and precipitation will likely influence disturbance regimes already affected by anthropogenic fire suppression or river impoundments. Understanding how disturbance...
Authors
Sara Zeigler, Daniel Catlin, M. Bomberger Brown, J.D. Fraser, Lauren Dinan, Kelsi Hunt, Joel Jorgensen, Sarah Karpanty
Smartphone-based distributed data collection enables rapid assessment of shorebird habitat suitability Smartphone-based distributed data collection enables rapid assessment of shorebird habitat suitability
Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. It is difficult to acquire such information; data often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source smartphone...
Authors
E. Thieler, Sara Zeigler, Luke Winslow, Megan Hines, Jordan Read, Jordan Walker
Metapopulation viability of an endangered shorebird depends on dispersal and human-created habitats: Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and prairie rivers Metapopulation viability of an endangered shorebird depends on dispersal and human-created habitats: Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and prairie rivers
Background Many species are distributed as metapopulations in dynamic landscapes, where habitats change through space and time. Individuals locate habitat through dispersal, and the relationship between a species and landscape characteristics can have profound effects on population persistence. Despite the importance of connectivity in dynamic environments, few empirical studies have...
Authors
Daniel Catlin, Sara Zeigler, M. Bomberger Brown, Lauren Dinan, James D. Fraser, Kelsi Hunt, Joel Jorgensen