Pat Megonigal is Senior Scientist and Associate Director of Research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. He received BS and MS degrees from Old Dominion University, and a PhD from Duke University. Dr. Megonigal is an ecosystem ecologist with research interests in carbon and greenhouse gas cycling in wetlands and forests, particularly as they relate to global change. He directs long-term research programs on the resilience of coastal forests and wetlands to hydrologic disturbances such as accelerated sea level rise. At SERC he is the SERC Associate Director of Research, Director of the Coastal Carbon Research Coordination Network, and Lead Scientist of the Global Change Research Wetland. Pat Megonigal has authored over 130 peer-reviewed publications and is a Fellow of three professional societies, the Ecological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and Society of Wetland Scientists.
