Tidal freshwater marshes are critical components of fluvial and estuarine ecosystems, yet ecogeomorphic feedbacks (i.e., those occurring between sediment dynamics and the vegetation community) within them have not received as much attention as their saltwater counterparts. In this seminar, I will present recent research evaluating the role of these feedbacks in stabilizing marsh-surface elevation relative to sea-level rise, in Dyke Marsh Preserve (Potomac River). The resulting insights are placed into a geomorphological context to assess the potential response of this marsh to rapid global environmental change and are compared with observations at a restored marsh in Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Dr. Cindy Palinkas received a B.A. in Earth and Planetary Science from Johns Hopkins University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geological Oceanography from the University of Washington. She is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Horn Point Laboratory. Her areas of expertise are continental-margin sedimentation, formation and preservation of sedimentary strata in the geological record, and deposition and accumulation of fluvial sediment in the coastal ocean.

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