Matthew Whalen

Biographical Information

I am a recent graduate of William and Mary (‘22) where I constructed a self-designed major in Ecology and Conservation. The next chapter of my life involves pursuing a Master’s Degree in Biology at W&M, starting in Fall 2023, where I will research plant ecology and proactive invasive species management in compensatory wetland mitigation banks under the direction of Dr. Doug DeBerry. I have been privileged to support the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at VIMS since June 2022. My responsibilities involve monitoring and assessing the functionality of Living Shoreline marsh habitats implemented along Virginia’s coastal waterfronts, as well as engaging with local stakeholders to facilitate greater involvement in shoreline management policy. Furthermore, I am responsible for using GIS and operating VIMS vessels to fine-tune the development of a community science application that will enable local groups to map the extent of living shoreline structures, associated tidal marshes, and other ecological parameters of interest to users to monitor changes across time in their local coastal tributaries. Despite the increasing environmental challenges that face our society, I believe that effective strategies for surviving these challenges lie in unity of science and local communities, ultimately to empower intergenerational involvement in conservation and ecological sciences through community science initiatives.

Personal Information

In my free time, I enjoy not having a roof over my head. When I am not working or studying, I am either  running with my 13-year-old Llewellin Setter, Sadie; fly-fishing any given body of water; on a boat; in a swamp or marsh; building/repairing wood duck nest boxes for a local high school conservation program; bird watching / hunting; searching for wildflowers and uncommon plants; playing tennis, learning Spanish; and/or spending time with family.