Matt Pierce

Wildlife Biologist I
Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department, Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science

Office: 177 Hobcaw Road, Georgetown, SC 29442
Phone: 856-506-1371

Email: mpierc7@clemson.edu
Personal Website: https://mattjp20571.wixsite.com/mattjpierce

Educational Background

M.S. Ecology
University of Georgia 2026

B.A. Environmental Science
Rowan University 2018

B.S. Biological Sciences
Rowan University 2018

Profile

Matt Pierce grew up in southern New Jersey. He attended Cumberland County College and received his A.S. in Environmental Science before moving onto Rowan University. He graduated from Rowan University in 2018 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in Environmental Science. During his undergraduate career he worked in the lab of Drs. Ruhl, Grove, and Richmond on zooplankton community dynamics and cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in NJ reservoirs. In addition he worked with Dr. Charles Schutte on a project researching how changing bird populations and the soundscapes they create under different climate change scenarios can be used as a science communication tool. After graduating from Rowan University, Matt started his M.S. at the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia.

Matt is now a wildlife biologist at the James C. Kennedy Waterfowl & Wetlands Center. He will be leading field surveys on a salt marsh restoration project.

Matt enjoys the beach, walks with his puppy (Moose), and exploring new eateries. If he has enough time Matt will tell you all about South Jersey.

Publications

Pierce, M. J., Lynn, T., Grissett, J., Ziegler, S. L., Williams, S., Reddy, S., Dong, S., Bowser, C., Alber, M., Pennings, S. C., Mishra, D., Spivak, A. C., & Byers, J. E. Scaling the spatial and temporal effects of wrack disturbance across a salt marsh landscape. In press at Estuaries and Coasts.

Brown, J., Krivchenia, A., Pierce, M. J., Richmond, C. E., & Ruhl, N. (2024). Developing cyanobacterial bloom indicators from spatiotemporal differences in productivity and water quality across a lake-stream network. Ecological Indicators, 169, 112838.

Ziegler, S. L., Pierce, M. J., & Byers, J. E. (2024). Invasive crab positively correlated with native predatory crab species over a regional scale. Biological Invasions, 26(10), 3341-3351.

Coleman, M., Simon, B., Pierce, M., & Schutte, C. (2023). Emergent Sonification: Using Computational Media to Communicate the Anthropocene in ByrdBot. Science Communication, 45 (2), 252-266.

Links