Wellfleet Public Library

Women In Science Series

Largely considered wastelands prior to the environmental movement of the mid-twentieth century, the incredibly dynamic and productive ecosystems known as wetlands today are wasting away in a state of chronic stasis, afflicted by coastal squeeze, sediment starvation, vegetation die-off, and increased vulnerability to acute natural events. Historic motivations for hydrologic modifications impacting these systems led to leveeing, ditching, tiling, channelizing, and more. Join this field ecologist for an overview of the why, how, and what now of a selection of modern wetlands both near and far.

Kyrsten Boswell's passion for coastal ecology began in the towering dunes of Lake Michigan and deepened in the vast wetlands of coastal Louisiana. She studied salt marsh erosion dynamics and barge-driven sediment movement during her graduate studies in Louisiana before relocating to Wellfleet for work in 2024.