People's Choice 2025 AEES Student Poster Award winner, Tyler Pyatt, is presenting, "Investigating the Ecological and Cultural Impacts of Coastal Flooding on Carolina Sea Islands." Tyler will examine how water quality changes in response to elevated water levels caused by flooding, storms, and tidal events. These investigations are paired with interviews and conversations with members of Gullah Geechee communities residing on these islands, incorporating lived experience and local knowledge with quantitative analysis. By integrating community perspectives with environmental data, this study aims to produce research that is both scientifically rigorous and grounded in the experiences of historically-marginalized coastal communities. 

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​Tyler Pyatt is pursuing a Master’s in biology at the University of South Carolina’s Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in Georgetown, South Carolina. His research focuses on the environmental and societal impacts of increased flooding on South Carolina’s coastal sea islands, with an emphasis on native Gullah Geechee communities. This work combines standard water quality monitoring with personal histories to build a holistic picture of how flooding affects both ecosystems and the people who live there and how these communities adapt, resist, or face barriers to adaptation. This work is meaningful to Tyler because he is a part of this community, and much of the research involves listening to other members and weaving their histories, perspectives, and knowledge into the scientific process. Outside of his academic work, he enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, being with friends, and playing music. After graduation, he hopes to continue working in restoration on coastal systems on the Carolina and Georgia coasts.