Megonigal, Patrick

J. Patrick Megonigal is Senior Scientist and Associate Director of Research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. He is an ecosystem ecologist with research interests in carbon and greenhouse gas cycling in wetlands and forests, particularly as they relate to climate change. He is the Lead Investigator of the Smithsonian’s Global Change Research wetland, a long-term research program focused on the stability of tidal wetlands faced with accelerated sea level rise. Dr. Megonigal has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications and is a Fellow of both the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and the Ecological Society of America. Dr. Megonigal was Curator of the major exhibit Dig It! The Secrets of Soils, for which he won a SSSA Presidential Citation, the Smithsonian Institution Secretary’s Research Prize, the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation’s Outstanding Achievement Award, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s Merit Award.

Pat Megonigal is a biogeochemist who studies the soil ecology of tidal wetlands.

A member of the Blue Carbon Initiative’s Scientific Working Group since 2011, Pat is also active in several additional working groups to advance scientific questions that are critical for understanding how tidal wetlands store and preserve carbon. In 2013, he collaborated on a project in Abu Dhabi to quantify the carbon storage capacity of tidal wetland systems, or “blue carbon” pools.

Pat developed a love of wild places during childhood camping trips. He says, “I fell in love with soils later when I learned that they are the most important part of these beautiful and fascinating ecosystems. There wouldn't be a forest or wetland to camp in without the soil beneath the landscape.”

In addition to his scientific research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and his role in international blue carbon working groups, Pat is also committed to public education.

As a way of sharing his passion for soils with a broad audience, he was lead curator for Dig It! The Secrets of Soil, at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), which was on display at NMNH before beginning a major U.S. tour.