Michael T. Coe Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

I have studied forests and savannas from North America to Sub-Saharan Africa, but have focused my attention on the Amazon for more than 25 years. Combining field data, satellite observations, and computer models, I strive to provide a clearer understanding of how deforestation alters regional and global climate and affects the environment.

My work explores how expanding agriculture changes evaporation, soil moisture, river discharge, soil and river biogeochemistry, and climate. My colleagues and I work with a range of stakeholders to develop and support science-based strategies for ending deforestation.

Dr. Mike Coe in front of a hammock and mosquito netting

Dr. Mike Coe in helmet and climbing harness

I have contributed to the improvement of land surface models and informed testimony before the National Congress of Brazil. During a 2019 spike in Amazon deforestation, my colleagues and I conducted hundreds of media interviews, correcting misinformation and raising public awareness about deforestation as the root cause of growing numbers of fires.

My interest in climate research was sparked in 1988 by seeing firsthand the impacts of severe drought on the Mississippi River, and by hearing the Congressional testimony of Drs. James Hansen and George Woodwell on climate change. Prior to joining Woodwell Climate Research Center, I spent seven years as a scientist at the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2014, I was in residence as a Fulbright Scholar at the Federal University of Goiás, Brazil, working with colleagues there to understand how massive deforestation in the savanna regions of Brazil are affecting climate now.

“We make a difference every year in the fight against deforestation. We collect new information, find out what it means, and most importantly, we get it to the right people—those making decisions in government and those on the ground protecting their forests.”