Visit Us
Our trails are open Monday through Saturday from 9a.m. to 4:30p.m., with the exception of federal holidays.

Evening Lectures
Learn about the natural world every third Tuesday of the month, now through November, at SERC's free evening lecture series!

Citizen Science
Work with our scientists in the field or the lab, and join us in making discoveries.

Shorelines Newsletter

Shorelines Blog

 Two Marsh Madness attendees in the Global Change Research Wetland

Citizen Science:
Marsh Madness is Here!

Work alongside Smithsonian scientists in the "wetland of the future" this summer! From July 25 to August 10, SERC scientists and volunteers are descending on the Global Change Research Wetland to take an annual census of the plants in the marsh's experimental chambers. Join the team, and become part of the longest field experiment on plants and climate change in the world. Must be 18 or older.
(Photo: Kim Holzer)

Learn more and sign up to partcipate
News and Research

Invasive Ascidians:
Not Your Typical Hitchhikers

Mangrove tunicate, Ecteinascidia turbinata

These invaders go by many names, including "sea squirts" and "tunicates." But scientists had never created a global picture of their conquests, until SERC marine biologists pooled 15 years of data and discovered some suprises. (Photo: Rosana M. Rocha)



Climate Change Could Release Ancient Soil Carbon

Blanca Bernal holds a soil core


Earth's deep soils store vast reservoirs of carbon hundreds to thousands of years old. Left undistrubed, they can store it thousands of years longer. But in a new study, SERC biogeochemists found that climate change could wake up this underground pool.



Wetland of the Future Turns Up the Heat

Roy Rich kneels in marsh beneath infrared lamps

SERC's Global Change Research Wetland is getting even hotter with a new global warming experiment this summer. The project tracks how well wetlands build soil and keep pace with sea level rise when facing both higher temperatures and higher CO2.



Education and Events

Full Calendar of Events

Click HERE to go to our public calendar.

--Tuesday, August 16, 7:00PM– 8:00PM
Evening Lecture
"Managing Diverse Ecosystems in the Modern World: A Saga of Ecosystem Restoration at Soldiers Delight "

--Saturday, August 27, 9:30AM– 3:30PM
Special Event
"Citizen Science: Archaeology Dig Day"

--Tuesday, September 20, 7:00PM– 8:00PM
Evening Lecture
"Success At Scale: Lessons From a 30-Plus Year Effort to Restore Chesapeake Bay"

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28 • 647 Contees Wharf Road • Edgewater, Maryland 21037-0028 • 443-482-2200
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