Through images that capture the beauty and destruction of the American landscape, photographers have played a vital role in advocating for the preservation of the natural world by encouraging the creation and maintenance of locally and federally protected lands. Join Hilary Schroeder, assistant curator, for a conversation about the art and science of environmental change with Benjamin Dimmitt and Matthew McCarthy, PhD. Dimmitt and McCarthy have collaborated over the past five years on a project that documents scientifically and photographically the damage to coastal Florida caused by rising sea levels. Their work will be featured in a forthcoming book by the University of Georgia Press.

Presented in conjunction with Public Domain: Photography and the Preservation of Public Lands.

About the Speakers

Benjamin Dimmitt

The photographic work of Asheville resident Benjamin Dimmitt, a native Floridian, investigates interdependence, competition, survival, and mortality in the natural environment. Dimmitt’s photographs have been exhibited in museums, galleries, and festivals throughout the US and around the world. His work is held in numerous major museums and private collections. The University of Georgia Press will publish a book of his work in late 2022 that will include Matt McCarthy’s study on coastal deforestation in Florida.

Matt McCarthy, PhD

Matt McCarthy, PhD is currently working as a research associate scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. With a doctorate and a graduate degree in oceanography and a background in oceanographic remote sensing, he has expertise in coastal, terrestrial, and open ocean environmental science, especially studying the effects of sea-level rise, tropical storms, and climate change more broadly on coastal ecosystems. He has led research projects at ORNL and the University of South Florida with funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to map and monitor diverse environmental and anthropogenic sectors from coral reefs and mangroves to public health drivers and land cover change using state-of-the-art satellites to monitor earth processes.