Emily Bernhardt

Emily Bernhardt is a Professor of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry at Duke University's School of the Environment. She leads the Duke Aquaterrestrial Biogeochemistry Lab, which focuses on tracking elemental movement in ecosystems and assessing human impacts like urbanization, agriculture, and climate change. Her work bridges aquatic and terrestrial systems, emphasizing policy-relevant science.

• Education: Ph.D., Cornell University (2001); B.S., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1996)
• Research Themes: Saltwater intrusion in coastal wetlands, mercury pollution from gold mining, ecosystem metabolism, and long-term ecological monitoring

Recent grants include LTER funding for Hubbard Brook research and THELORACS project collaborations. Awards include election to the National Academy of Sciences (2023) and the 2023 Duke Sustainability Champion honor.

• Key Projects: Exploring ghost forest expansion due to sea-level rise in North Carolina, evaluating LiDAR for tree health monitoring, and modeling carbon dynamics in rivers
• Labs/Teams: Collaborative efforts with the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and coastal wetland networks