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Have an Earth Science question?   Ask-A-Geologist! Ecosystems: about this Topic Many coastal, lacustrine, and marine fragile environments, including coastal wetlands, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and polar ecosystems, have been impacted and degraded during the past century by a combination of natural processes and by human activities. Conserving these environments and preventing further degradation, as well as restoring some areas, requires sound scientific understanding of the geologic processes and the geologic framework in which the dominant processes operate. Content Types: Project Information Educational Materials What are these? Photographs Movies Maps Publications Data Sets

Number of results: 128

• Open-File Report 2010-1130: Estuarine Sedimentation, Sediment Character, and Foraminiferal Distribution in Central San Francisco Bay, California
  This study fills the data gap for both natural and introduced species of benthic foraminifera.
  Posted: 2010-08-16
• California Seafloor Mapping Program
  The California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) is a cooperative program to create a comprehensive coastal/marine geologic and habitat base map series for all of California’s State waters. The Ocean Protection Council authorized funds to establish the CSMP in 2007 (OPC, 2007) and assembled a team of experts from state and federal agencies, academia, and private industry to develop the best approach to mapping and classifying estuarine and marine geologic habitats, while at the same time updating all nautical charts. Initiated in 2008, the CSMP is collecting bathymetry (underwater topography) and backscatter data (providing insight into the geologic makeup of the seafloor) that will be turned into habitat and geologic base maps for all of California’s state waters (mean high water line out to three nautical miles). Although the CSMP was originally developed to support the design and monitoring of marine reserves through the Marine Life Protection Act (CDFG, 2007), accurate statewide mapping of the seafloor will:
  - improve climate change and ocean circulation models;
  - help evaluate the potential for ocean energy;
  - improve our understanding of ecosystem dynamics;
  - identify submerged faults and improve our understanding of tsunami potential
  - enable more effective regulation of offshore development;
  - improve maritime safety; and
  - improve our understanding of sediment transport and sand delivery.
  Posted: 2010-02-23
• Open-FIle Report 2009-1190: 2008 Weather and Aeolian Sand-Transport Data from the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona
  This report presents measurements of weather parameters and aeolian (windblown) sand transport made in 2008 near selected archaeological sites in the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon, Ariz. The quantitative methods and data discussed here form a basis for monitoring ecosystem processes that affect archeological-site stability. Combined with forthcoming work to evaluate landscape evolution at nearby archaeological sites, these data can be used to document the relationship between physical processes, including weather and aeolian sand transport, and their effects on the physical integrity of archaeological sites. Data collected in 2008 reveal event- and seasonal-scale variations in rainfall, wind, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. Broad seasonal changes in aeolian sediment flux are also apparent at most study sites. The continuation of monitoring that began in 2007, and installation of equipment at several new sites in early 2008, allowed evaluation of the effects of the March 2008 high-flow experiment (HFE) on aeolian sand transport. At two of the nine sites studied, spring and summer winds reworked 2008 HFE sandbars to form new aeolian dunes, at which sand moved inland toward larger, well-established dune fields. At the other seven study sites, neither dune formation nor enhanced sand transport after the HFE were observed. At several of those sites, dominant wind directions in spring 2008 were not oriented such that much HFE sand would have moved inland; at other sites, lack of increased inland sand flux is attributable to lack of sandbar enlargement near the study sites or to inhibition of sand movement by vegetation or local topography.
  Posted: 2009-10-30
• Open-File Report 2009-1195: Coastal Circulation and Sediment Dynamics in War-in-the-Pacific National Historical Park, Guam
  Flow in and around coral reefs affects a number of physical, chemical and biologic processes that influence the health and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. These range from the residence time of sediment and contaminants to nutrient uptake and larval retention and dispersal. As currents approach a coast they diverge to flow around reef structures, causing high horizontal and vertical shear. This can result in either the rapid advection of material in localized jets, or the retention of material in eddies that form in the lee of bathymetric features. The high complexity and diversity both within and between reefs, in conjunction with past technical restrictions, has limited our understanding of the nature of flow and the resulting flux of physical, chemical, and biologic material in these fragile ecosystems.
  Posted: 2009-10-13
• USGS Coral Reef Studies
  Coral Reef Studies conducted in Hawaii, Florida and California.
  Posted: 2009-06-24
• USGS Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM)
  The goal of the USGS Northern Gulf of Mexico project is to understand the evolution of coastal ecosystems on the Northern Gulf Coast, the impact of human activities on these ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more frequent and more intense hurricanes in the future.
  Posted: 2009-05-28
• Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms
  This project investigates the coastal impacts of hurricanes and extreme storms, such as Hurricanes Isabel (2003), Dennis (1999), Bonnie & Georges (1998), and winter storms, such as those associated with the 1997-98 El Niño.
  Posted: 2009-04-28
• Open-File Report 2008-1190: Geologic Resource Evaluation of Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, Hawai‘i; Part I, Geology and Coastal Landforms
  Geologic resource inventories of lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are important products for the parks and are designed to provide scientific information to better manage park resources. Park-specific geologic reports are used to identify geologic features and processes that are relevant to park ecosystems, evaluate the impact of human activities on geologic features and processes, identify geologic research and monitoring needs, and enhance opportunities for education and interpretation. These geologic reports are planned to provide a brief geologic history of the park and address specific geologic issues forming a link between the park geology and the resource manager. The Kona coast National Parks of the Island of Hawai‘i are intended to preserve the natural beauty of the Kona coast and protect significant ancient structures and artifacts of the native Hawaiians. Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE), Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park (KAHO), and Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (PUHO) are three Kona parks studied by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Team in cooperation with the National Park Service. This report is one of six related reports designed to provide geologic and benthic-habitat information for the three Kona parks. Each geology and coastal-landform report describes the regional geologic setting of the Hawaiian Islands, gives a general description of the geology of the Kona coast, and presents the geologic setting and issues for one of the parks. The related benthic-habitat mapping reports discuss the marine data and habitat classification scheme, and present results of the mapping program.
  Posted: 2009-02-10
• USGS Gulf Coast Science Conference and Florida Integrated Science Center Meeting: Proceedings with Abstracts, October 20-23, 2008, Orlando, Florida
  Talks, posters, and abstracts from the USGS Gulf Coast Science Conference and Florida Integrated Science Center Meeting.
  Posted: 2009-01-29
• Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5101: The Coral Reef of South Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i—Portrait of a Sediment-Threatened Fringing Reef
  In this landmark volume, U.S. Geological Survey researchers and their colleagues have developed and applied a remarkably integrated approach to the reefs of Moloka‘i, combining geology, oceanography, and biology to provide an in-depth understanding of the processes that have made these reefs grow and that now limit them. They have joined old fashioned natural history of marine animals and plants with study of the geological evolution of the island, hydrology, meteorology, and land-use history, to an arsenal of new methods of remote sensing, including aerial photography, laser ranging, infrared thermal mapping, seismic reflection, in-situ instrumentation to measure chemical parameters of water quality, and direct measurements of the physical driving forces affecting them—such as wave energy, currents, sedimentation, and sediment transport. They provide a level of documentation and insight that has never been available for any reef before.
  Posted: 2008-11-19
• USGS Data Series 265, Time-Series Photographs of the Sea Floor in Western Massachusetts Bay, Version 2, 1989 - 1996, USGS Data Series 265, Title Page
  This U.S. Geological Survey Data Series report presents time-series photographs of the sea floor obtained from an instrumented tripod deployed in western Massachusetts Bay (site LT-A, 42? 22.6' N., 70? 47.0' W., 32 m water depth) from December 1989 to October 1996. The photographs provide time-series observations of changes of the sea floor, near-bottom water turbidity, and life on the sea floor. The photographs, obtained every 4 or every 6 hours, are presented as individual photographs (in .png format) and as a movie (in .avi format).
  Posted: 2008-11-17
• USGS Data Series 266, Time-series photographs of the sea floor in western Massachusetts Bay, 1996 - 2005 Title Page
  This U.S. Geological Survey Data Series report presents time-series photographs of the sea floor obtained from an instrumented tripod deployed in western Massachusetts Bay (site LT-A, 42? 22.6' N., 70? 47.0' W., 32 m water depth) from December 1989 to October 1996. The photographs provide time-series observations of changes of the sea floor, near-bottom water turbidity, and life on the sea floor. The photographs, obtained every 4 or every 6 hours, are presented as individual photographs (in .png format) and as a movie (in .avi format).
  Posted: 2008-11-17
• Open-File Report 2007-1219: Science and Management in the Hanalei Watershed, A Trans-Disciplinary Approach
  The results of recent studies in the Hanalei watershed are impressive, both in content and breadth. Funded, directed, and/or conducted by investigators from many disciplines from local organizations (the Hanalei Watershed Hui), the University of Hawai‘i, the State of Hawai‘i (Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources), and Federal organizations (U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency), their sum total have contributed markedly to our understanding of processes in the watershed. There has been an overwhelming amount of information that has been collected in the Hanalei Bay Watershed from Mt. Waialeale to the far reefs in just the past 5 years. This workshop was initiated to document our collective understanding, better integrate our results, and identify the salient issues that remain to be studied.
  Posted: 2008-10-06
• Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) Coral Reef Research
  The U.S. Geological Survey Florida Integrated Science Center (USGS–FISC) is conducting a coordinated Coral Reef Research Project beginning in 2009. Specific research topics are aimed at addressing priorities identified in the “Strategic Science for Coral Ecosystems 2007-2011” document (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007). Planned research will include a blend of historical, monitoring, and process studies aimed at improving our understanding of the development, current status and function, and likely future changes in coral ecosystems. Topics such as habitat characterization and distribution, coral disease, and trends in biogenic calcification are major themes of understanding reef structure, ecological integrity, and responses to global change.
  Posted: 2008-07-01
• Data Series 320: Sea-Floor Mapping and Benthic Habitat GIS for the Elwha River Delta Nearshore, Washington
  This is a description of selected data layers for the Sea-Floor Mapping and Benthic Habitat GIS for Puget Sound, Washington. From March 1531, 2005, more than 252 km (19.5 km2) of seafloor offshore of the Elwha River Delta in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca was mapped by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program. The purpose of this nearshore mapping was to (1) obtain high resolution bathymetry and acoustic reflectance properties of the seabed, (2) examine and record geologic characteristics of the seafloor, and (3) construct maps of sea-floor geomorphology and habitat. Substrate distribution was characterized with video-supervised statistical classification of the sonar data. Substrate of the survey was dominated by mixed sand-gravel and sand. Numerous boulder reefs were observed west of the river mouth within Freshwater Bay, whereas the sea-floor immediately adjacent to the river mouth was dominated by sand.
  Posted: 2008-05-07
• EAARL Topography-Thomas Stone National
  Digital map atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for Thomas Stone National Historic Site
  Posted: 2008-04-28
• USGS-NPS-NASA EAARL Submarine Topography-Northern Florida Keys
  Digital map atlas of lidar-derived submarine topography maps for the Northern Florida Keys Reef Tract
  Posted: 2008-04-25
• EAARL Topography-Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (SAHI)
  Digital atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
  Posted: 2008-04-24
• EAARL Topography-Gateway National Recreation Area-Home
  Digital map atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for the Gateway National Recreation Area
  Posted: 2008-04-23
• EAARL Submarine Topography-Florida Keys National Marine
  Digital atlas of Lidar-derived submarine topography maps for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
  Posted: 2008-04-21
• EAARL First Return Topography—Fire Island National Seashore
  Digital map atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for Assateague Island National Seashore
  Posted: 2008-04-21
• USGS-NPS-NASA EAARL Bare Earth Topography - Fire Island National Seashore
  Digital map atlas of Lidar-derived topography maps for Fire Island National Seashore
  Posted: 2008-04-21
• EAARL Topography-Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS)-Florida
  Digital atlas of lidar-derived bare earth topography maps for Gulf Islands National Seashore-Florida
  Posted: 2008-04-17
• USGS-NPS-NASA EAARL Topography - George Washington Birthplace
  Digital map atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for George Washington Birthplace National Monument
  Posted: 2008-04-17
• EAARL Topography - Cape Cod National Seashore
  Digital atlas of lidar-derived bare earth topography maps for Cape Cod National Seashore
  Posted: 2008-04-17
• USGS-NPS-NASA EAARL Topography - Dry Tortugas National Park
  This lidar-derived submarine topography map was produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program, National Park Service (NPS) South Florida/Caribbean Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility. One objective of this research is to create techniques to survey coral reefs for the purposes of habitat mapping, ecological monitoring, change detection, and event assessment (for example: bleaching, hurricanes, disease outbreaks).
  Posted: 2008-03-24
• Geomorphology and Depositional Sub-environments of Assateague Island MD/VA
  Geomorphology and Depositional Sub-environments of Assateague Island MD/VA, Open File Report 2007-1388
  Posted: 2008-03-17
• EAARL Topography–Gulf Islands National Seashore
  Digital atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for Gulf Islands National Seashore-Mississippi
  Posted: 2008-03-17
• EAARL Topography - Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS)
  Digital atlas of lidar-derived topography maps for Assateague Island National Seashore
  Posted: 2008-02-27
• USGS FS 2007-3065 --- Kellogg
  Coral disease is a major cause of reef decline in the Florida Keys. Bacterium has been defined as the most common pathogen (disease-causing organism). Although much is being done to catalog coral diseases, map their locations, determine the causes of disease, or measure the rates of coral demise, very little research has been directed toward actually preventing or eliminating the diseases affecting coral and coral reef decline.
  Posted: 2008-02-01
• USGS Professional Paper 1751: Systematic Mapping of Bedrock and Habitats along the Florida Reef Tract--Central Key Largo to Halfmoon Shoal
  Systematic Mapping of Bedrock and Habitats along the Florida Reef Tract: Central Key Largo to Halfmoon Shoal (Gulf of Mexico) details the bio/geologic record in the Florida Keys from 325,000 years ago to the present.
  Posted: 2008-01-23
• Habitat and Hydrology: Assessing Biological Resources of the Suwannee River Estuarine System Open-File Report 2007-1382
  Habitat and Hydrology: Assessing Biological Resources of the Suwannee River Estuarine System, Open File Report 2007-1382
  Posted: 2008-01-18
• Open-File Report 2006-1288: Circulation and Physical Processes within the San Gabriel River Estuary During Summer 2005
  For nearly a decade, dredged material from San Francisco Bay has been deposited at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX designated disposal site on the continental slope west of the Farallon Islands. Over the past several years, annual disposal volumes have ranged from 136,170 m3 (61 barge loads) to 2,407,600 m3 (1,173 barge loads) (Ota, personal communication, 2000). The EPA has conducted extensive studies to evaluate the fate and effects of the disposed material (Abdelrhman, 1992; Tetra-Tech, 1992; SAIC, 1992). The EPA has also maintained a long-term monitoring program to collect hydrodynamic, sedimentary, chemical, and biological data that are used to determine whether the dredged material adversely affects the ecology of adjacent water bodies and whether it moves from the disposal site, especially into the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. As part of this monitoring program, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) deployed arrays of instruments on three moorings near the EPA disposal site from November 1997 to November 1998. This report describes the results and findings of this field monitoring experiment.
  Posted: 2008-01-11
• USGS Monterey Bay Science
  USGS Monterey Bay Science - USGS research in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and coastal watersheds of central California
  Posted: 2008-01-01
• Science and the Storms: the USGS Response to the Hurricanes of 2005
  This report is designed to give a view of the immediate response of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to four major hurricanes of 2005: Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Some of this response took place days after the hurricanes; other responses included fieldwork and analysis through the spring. While hurricane science continues within the USGS, this overview of work following these hurricanes reveals how a Department of the Interior bureau quickly brought together a diverse array of its scientists and technologies to assess and analyze many hurricane effects. Topics vary from flooding and water quality to landscape and ecosystem impacts, from geotechnical reconnaissance to analyzing the collapse of bridges and estimating the volume of debris. Thus, the purpose of this report is to inform the American people of the USGS science that is available and ongoing in regard to hurricanes. It is the hope that such science will help inform the decisions of those citizens and officials tasked with coastal restoration and planning for future hurricanes.
  Posted: 2008-01-01
• Coastal and Marine Knowledge Bank
  An initiative to develop and present a national-scale, interdisciplinary scientific framework for marine environments, the coastal zone, and coastal watersheds
  Posted: 2007-11-28
• USGS Open-File Report 2006-1195, Surficial Sediment Character of the Louisiana Offshore Continental Shelf Region: a GIS Compilation
  The Louisiana coastal zone, comprising the Mississippi River delta plain stretching nearly 400 km from Sabine Pass at the Texas border east to the Chandeleur Islands at the Mississippi border, represents one of North America's most important coastal ecosystems in terms of natural resources, human infrastructure, and cultural heritage. At the same time, this region has the highest rates of coastal erosion and wetland loss in the Nation due to a complex combination of natural processes and anthropogenic actions over the past century. The USGS has actively supported coastal and wetlands geologic research for the past two decades in partnership with universities (e.g., Louisiana State University, University of New Orleans), state agencies (e.g. Louisiana Geological Survey, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources), and private organizations (Williams and others, 1992a,b; Williams and Cichon, 1993; List and others, 1994). These studies have focused on regional-scale mapping of coastal and wetland change and developing a better understanding of the processes that cause coastal erosion and wetlands loss, particularly the rapid deterioration of Louisiana's barrier islands, estuaries, and wetlands environments. With a better understanding of these processes, the ability to model and predict erosion and wetlands loss will improve. More accurate predictions will, in turn, allow for proper management of coastal resources. Improved predictions will also allow for better assessments of the utility of different restoration alternatives.
  Posted: 2007-10-11
• El Niño Home Page
  El Niño information with links to a broad range of topics such as Floods, Landslides, Coastal Hazards, Climate, News Releases.
  Posted: 2007-09-30
• Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5120: Nearshore Circulation and Water-Column Properties in the Skagit River Delta, Northern Puget Sound, Washington - Juvenile Chinook Salmon Habitat Availability in the Swinomish Channel
  Time-series and spatial measurements of nearshore hydrodynamic processes and water properties were made in the Swinomish Channel to quantify the net direction and rates of surface water transport that influence habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon along their primary migratory corridor between the Skagit River and Padilla Bay in northern Puget Sound, Washington. During the spring outmigration of Skagit River Chinook between March and June 2007, currents measured with fixed acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCP) at the south and north end of the Swinomish Channel and with roving ADCP revealed that the currents are highly asymmetric with a dominant flow to the north (toward Padilla Bay). Maximum surface current velocities reached 1.5 m/s and were generally uniform across the channel near McGlinn Island Causeway. Transport times for surface water to travel the 11 km from the southern end of Swinomish Channel at McGlinn Island to Padilla Bay ranged from 2.1 hours to 5.5 days. The mean travel time was ~1 day, while 17 percent of the time, transport of water and passive particles occurred within 3.75 hours. Surface water in the Swinomish Channel during this time was generally very saline 20-27 psu, except south of the Rainbow Bridge in the town of La Conner where it ranged 0-15 psu depending on tide and Skagit River discharge. This salinity regime restricts suitable low salinity (<15-20 psu) surface waters for fry Chinook salmon to the southernmost 2 km of the channel. The mean change in salinity along the channel was 10-13 psu. The high northward current velocities have the capacity to transport Chinook fry into less suitable, high-salinity waters toward Padilla Bay within hours. The rapid transport times of 2.1 to 3.75 hours between McGlinn Island and Padilla Bay that occur 17 percent of the time, are considerably less than the time considered adequate for juvenile Chinook to acclimate and produce a temporal salinity gradient for pre-smolt salmon that can exceed 4 psu/hour during high northward current flow.
  Posted: 2007-07-19
• Open-File Report 2005-1070: Moloka'i Benthic Habitat Mapping
  In order to provide evidence of change in any ecosystem, one must first have a starting point, or "baseline" inventory of resources. Thematic maps providing this baseline inventory are an important tool in assessing change in coral reef ecosystems, allowing scientists to spatially document the location of corals, percentage of coral cover, and relative overall health of the system. In the last decade, scientists and managers have recognized the lack of thematic maps for coral reefs worldwide. In 1998, the President of the U.S. issued Executive Order 13089 establishing the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF). Comprised of several Federal agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the primary duty of the CRTF is mapping and monitoring of coral reefs in the U.S. and U.S. Trust Territories. U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2005-1070 Version 1.0 Moloka'i Benthic Habitat Mapping By Susan A. Cochran-Marquez USGS Pacific Science Center Santa Cruz, CA Introduction In order to provide evidence of change in any ecosystem, one must first have a starting point, or "baseline" inventory of resources. Thematic maps providing this baseline inventory are an important tool in assessing change in coral reef ecosystems, allowing scientists to spatially document the location of corals, percentage of coral cover, and relative overall health of the system. In the last decade, scientists and managers have recognized the lack of thematic maps for coral reefs worldwide. In 1998, the President of the U.S. issued Executive Order 13089 establishing the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF). Comprised of several Federal agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the primary duty of the CRTF is mapping and monitoring of coral reefs in the U.S. and U.S. Trust Territories. Moloka'i is one of the main eight Hawaiian Islands (Figure 1). The south shore of Moloka'i is home to the most continuous fringing coral reef in U.S. waters...
  Posted: 2007-07-05
• Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5258: Geologic Resource Evaluation of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawai'i, Part II
  In cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has mapped the underwater environment in and adjacent to three parks along the Kona coast on the island of Hawai‘i. This report is the second of two produced for the NPS on the geologic resource evaluation of of Pu‘uhonua O H?naunau National Historical Park (PUHO) and presents the results of benthic habitat mapping of the offshore waters for PUHO. See Part I (Richmond and others, 2006) for an overview of the regional geology, local volcanics, and a detailed description of coastal landforms in the park.
  Posted: 2007-07-05
• Gulf of Mexico and Southeast Tidal Wetlands
  This project is investigating the loss of coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands in order to determine long-term change in wetlands and to provide a model for determining areas that are most vulnerable to loss because of combinations of human and natural impacts.
  Posted: 2007-06-01
• Open-File Report 2007-1011: Circulation and Physical Processes within the San Gabriel River Estuary During Summer 2005
  The Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) is developing a hydrodynamic model of the SGR estuary, which is part of the comprehensive water-quality model of the SGR estuary and watershed investigated by SCCWRP and other local agencies. The hydrodynamic model will help understanding of 1) the exchange processes between the estuary and coastal ocean; 2) the circulation patterns in the estuary; 3) upstream natural runoff and the cooling discharge from PGS.
  Posted: 2007-02-09
• USGS Circular 1198 - Beyond the Golden Gate - Oceanography, Geology, Biology, and Environmental Issues in the Gulf of the Farallones
  The USGS began a major geologic and oceanographic study of the Gulf of the Farallones in 1989. This investigation, the first of several now being conducted adjacent to major population centers by the USGS, was undertaken to establish a scientific data base for an area of 3,400 square kilometers (1,000 square nautical miles) on the Continental Shelf adjacent to the San Francisco Bay region. The results of this study can be used to evaluate and monitor human impact on the marine environment.
  Posted: 2006-11-17
• Open-File Report 2006-1125: Coastal Circulation and Sediment Dynamics in Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawaii, Part II, Tracking Recent Fluvial Sedimentation; Isotope Stratigraphy Obtained in Summer 2005
  Delivery and dispersal of fluvial sediment in Hanalei Bay, Kaua’i, Hawaii, have important implications for the health of local coral reefs. The reef community in Hanalei Bay represents a relatively healthy ecosystem. However, the reefs are periodically stressed by storm waves, and increases in sediment and dissolved substances from the Hanalei River have the potential to cause additional stress. Increased turbidity and sedimentation on corals during Hanalei River floods that occur in seasons of low wave energy, when sediment would not be readily remobilized and advected out of the bay, could affect the health and sustainability of coral reefs and the many associated species.
  Posted: 2006-08-04
• Open-File Report 2006-1085: Coastal Circulation and Sediment Dynamics in Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Part I, Measurements of waves, currents, temperature, salinity and turbidity; June - August, 2005
  High-resolution measurements of waves, currents, water levels, temperature, salinity and turbidity were made in Hanalei Bay, northern Kaua’i, Hawaii, during the summer of 2005 to better understand coastal circulation and sediment dynamics in coral reef habitats.
  Posted: 2006-08-04
• Open-File Report 2006-1147: Coastal Circulation and Sediment Dynamics in Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawaii, Part III, Studies of Sediment Toxicity
  In this study purple-spined sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata) fertilization and embryological development porewater toxicity tests were used to evaluate the sediments collected from the coastal environment around Hanalei Bay, Kaua’i, Hawaii. These tests have been used previously to assess the bioavailability of contaminants associated with sediments in the vicinity of coral reefs.
  Posted: 2006-08-04
• Research Projects - National Seafloor Mapping and Benthic Habitat Studies: Pacific
  Geophysical characterization of the coastal sea floor to identify benthic fish and shellfish habitat. Areas include Glacier Bay, Alaska and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, National Park, and Southern California State Fish Preserves.
  Posted: 2006-07-17
• Coasts of Colombia
  Due to the complex geologic history of the northwestern part of South America, the Colombian coasts include a variety of coastline types, ranging from high-relief, steep-plunging cliffs typical of igneous and metamorphic massifs, to low, sandy barrier islands and extensive mangrove swamps characteristic of deltaic areas of both coasts.
  Posted: 2006-06-14
• Florida Salt Marsh Vole Habitat: Lower Suwannee
  Florida Salt Marsh Vole Habitat: Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge details an effort by the U.S. Geological Survey to map potential habitat sites of the Florida salt marsh vole in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge.
  Posted: 2006-04-10
• Open-File Report 2005-1069: Coastal Change Rates and Patterns: Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Hawai’i
  A collaborative project between the U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal and Marine Geology Program and the National Park Service (NPS) has been developed to create an inventory of geologic resources for National Park Service lands on the Big Island of Hawai’i. The NPS Geologic Resources Inventories are recognized as essential for the effective management, interpretation, and understanding of vital park resources. In general, there are three principal components of the inventories: geologic bibliographies, digital geologic maps, and geologic reports. The geologic reports are specific to each individual park and include information on the geologic features and processes that are important to the management of park resources, including ecological, cultural and recreational resources. This report summarizes a component of the geologic inventory concerned specifically with characterizing the coastal geomorphology of the beach system within Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (NHP) and describes an analysis that utilizes georeferenced and orthorectified aerial photography to understand the spatial and temporal trends in shoreline change from 1950 to 2002. In addition, spatial patterns of beach change were examined and a beach stability map was developed. Both the shoreline change rates and the beach stability map are designed to help Park personnel effectively manage the valuable park resources within the context of understanding natural changes to the KAHO beach system.
  Posted: 2006-02-23
• Coral Microbial Ecology
  Coral microbial ecology is the study of the relationship of coral-associated microorganisms to each other, the coral host, and to their environment.
  Posted: 2006-02-14
• Research Projects: The California Urban Ocean Project - USGS WCMG
  Description of research project.
  Posted: 2006-01-31
• Marine Invasive Species, Didemnum lahillei, a colonial tunicate; ascidian; sea squirt, Home Page
  Distribution, biology, and marine habitat impacts of the highly invasive colonial tunicate Didemnum lahillei
  Posted: 2004-06-21
• Contaminant Transport in Massachusetts Bay
  Contaminants have accumulated in sediments of many coastal environments of the United States, particularly those near major metropolitan centers. U.S. Geological Survey scientists provide information about the distribution, severity, and fate of these contaminated sediments that is essential for making informed management decisions about multiple uses of these coastal environments.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• Sedimentary Environments in Long Island Sound: A Guide to Sea-Floor Management in a Large Urbanized Estuary - USGS Fact Sheet 041-98
  Bottom sedimentary environments, defined by sidescan-sonar patterns, indicate where sea-floor sediments are moved and deposited in the Long Island Sound estuary. The patchy distribution of environments, which reflects both regional and local changes in geologic and oceanographic conditions, provides a predictive framework for those concerned with the management and utilization of the sea floor in this urbanized area.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• Coastal Wetlands and Sediments of the San Francisco Bay System - USGS Fact Sheet
  San Francisco Bay has received much scientific attention over the years primarily because of regional questions regarding water quality and, more recently, geologic hazards, but very little is known about sediment distribution and movement on the floor of the Bay. The link between sediment accumulation in the Bay and processes that produce the staggering losses of wetlands acreage and continual channel filling is becoming better understood as U.S. Geological Survey scientists undertake new research of the region.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• Geology and the Fishery of Georges Bank - USGS Fact Sheet
  A comprehensive knowledge of the geological environment is required to answer questions regarding the health of a fishery, the effects of ocean dumping and pollutant dispersal, and the impact of energy exploration activities.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• Geology of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary - USGS Fact Sheet
  The geology and oceanography of the Farallones and surrounding area is atypical and complex. These factors complicate the process of understanding the environmental effects of man's influence such as the disposal of dredge spoils and radioactive wastes. Our goal is to assemble, in a non-crisis mode, geological information to support sound management decisions for any purpose.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• High-Energy Storms Shape Puerto Rico - USGS Fact Sheet
  Geologists have known for many years that damage inflicted by hurricanes on coastal areas may be less important for the long-term evolution of a coast than the effects of less intense, but more frequent, storm events. Indeed, high-energy storms may be needed to maintain the health of delicate marine ecologies in the coastal environment. Marine geologists of the U.S. Geological Survey working in Puerto Rico are confident that the long-term effects of Hurricane Hugo on the coastal environment are minimal, though the economic damage was significant. Detailed oceanographic studies are needed to define the sediment budget of the nearshore areas of Puerto Rico and to provide baseline information for studying storm effects.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• The Lake Pontchartrain Basin: Louisiana's Troubled Urban Estuary - USGS Fact Sheet
  Scientific studies recently begun by the U.S. Geological Survey suggest that several key natural processes and human-induced environmental factors are directly affecting the health of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, one of America's largest estuaries. An increased knowledge of the critical geologic and estuarine processes affecting the Basin is essential for its management, improving environmental conditions, and mitigating future problems in the region. Such baseline information is of immediate value to planners and decision makers involved in the task of reversing the Basin's environmental degradation and restoring its water and habitat qualities.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Geological Processes and Framework - USGS Fact Sheet
  The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will move its Pacific Marine Geology program to a new location at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and we are excited about our role in the marine sciences community around Monterey Bay. There is much to learn in the region, not only as a result of new opportunities in the Marine Sanctuary, but also that knowledge gained here may be transferred to our studies of similar environments in other parts of the world.
  Posted: 2004-03-02
• Seafloor Studies of Mamala Bay, Honolulu, Hawaii: USGS Fact Sheet
  Disposal of dredge spoils in the near offshore area, coupled with the rapid growth of Honolulu and other nearby municipalities, has placed increased stress on the environment of Mamala Bay. No satisfactory bathymetric map of the seafloor had existed, and little information has been compiled about the effects of these activities to determine whether modifications to the operation and management of the designated dump sites and sewage outfall locations were necessary.
  Posted: 2004-01-04
• Photographs of the Sea Floor Offshore of New York and New Jersey, USGS Open-File Report 01-470, Start page
  A collection of sea floor bottom photographs taken offshore of New York and New Jersey
  Posted: 2003-10-10
• Isla del Coco Fishes
  Isla del Coco Fishes is the first synthesis of scientific information about the remote Isla del Coco National Park (Costa Rica). The book, written in Spanish and English, contains descriptions and color photographs of more than half of the 271 fish species known from Isla del Coco, arranged in phylogenetic order. Many of the species are new records for the island and/or the eastern tropical Pacific.
  Posted: 2003-05-08
• Online Mini-Documentary Movie - Fishes of Isla del Coco, Coasta Rica
  Fishes of Isla del Coco, Costa Rica is an six minute movie featuring the antics of 22 species of fishes, one species of marine mammal and a few invertebrate species that inhabit the nearshore waters of Isla del Coco. Small butterflyfishes and angelfishes clean large sharks and rays; remoras harass divers, mobulas and each other; guineafowl puffers interact in curious ways; groupers and trumpetfishes eye an octopus; barnacle blennies daringly leap from their homes to feed; and bottlenose dolphins herd jacks into a baitball as a prelude to feeding.
  Posted: 2003-04-10
• U.S. Coral Reefs—Imperiled National Treasures | USGS Fact Sheet 025-02
  Coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species. However, the tiny colonial animals that build these intricate limestone masses are dying at alarming rates. If this trend continues, in 20 years the living corals on many of the world’s reefs will be dead and the ecosystems that depend on them severely damaged. As part of the effort to protect our Nation’s extensive reefs, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are working to better understand the processes that affect the health of these ecologically and economically important ecosystems.
  Posted: 2003-03-18
• New Mapping Techniques Help Assess the Health of Hawai'i's Coral Reefs | USGS Fact Sheet 084-01
  More than 60% of coral reefs in U.S. waters are found in the extended Hawaiian Island chain. These complex and diverse marine ecosystems are not only ecologically important but also provide hundreds of millions of dollars annually to Hawai‘i’s economy. Elsewhere in the world, corals are dying at unprecedented rates, and the reefs of Hawai‘i may also be at risk. To monitor and protect these reefs and to help understand what is threatening coral-reef habitats worldwide, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other scientists are using new techniques to create detailed maps of Hawai‘i’s coral reefs.
  Posted: 2003-03-18
• Subsurface Controls on Historical Subsidence Rates and Associated Wetland Loss in Southcentral Louisiana
  The Gulf Coast Basin is a region where subsidence and fault activation are common around large, mature oil and gas fields even though moderately deep hydrocarbon production has generally been disregarded as the primary cause. This project will test the hypothesis that long-term, large-volume oil and gas production in the Gulf Coast Basin has resulted in land-surface subsidence and activation of deep-seated faults around some fields.
  Posted: 2003-03-14
• Primary Causes of Wetland Loss at Madison Bay, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana - USGS Open File Report 03-060
  The Gulf Coast Basin is a region where subsidence and fault activation are common around large, mature oil and gas fields even though moderately deep hydrocarbon production has generally been disregarded as the primary cause. This project will test the hypothesis that long-term, large-volume oil and gas production in the Gulf Coast Basin has resulted in land-surface subsidence and activation of deep-seated faults around some fields.
  Posted: 2003-03-11
• Geology and Human Activity in the Florida Keys - USGS Fact Sheet
  Live corals on the east side of the Florida Keys are mysteriously dying and algae are taking over that eco-niche. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) studies and mapping of the Keys and the reef tract suggest that a number of natural factors, combined with effects of human activity, may contribute to the corals' demise. A complete geological study of this ecosystem would provide the kind of information environmental managers need to determine the extent of damage to reefs resulting from human activity.
  Posted: 2003-03-02
• Coral Mortality and African Dust
  Why have coral reefs that are bathed in clear oceanic waters throughout much of the Caribbean suffered algal infestation, coral diseases, and near extinction of herbivorous sea urchins from the 1970s through early 1990s? The best known factors detrimental to coral reefs do not apply for many of the affected reefs where human population is low.
  Posted: 2003-02-18
• African Dust Carries Microbes Across the Ocean: Are They Affecting Human and Ecosystem Health? - USGS Open File Report 03-028
  A four-page full-color discussion of how atmospheric transport of dust from northwest Africa to the western Atlantic Ocean region may be responsible for a number of environmental hazards, including the demise of Caribbean corals; red tides; amphibian diseases; increased occurrence of asthma in humans; and oxygen depletion (eutrophication) in estuaries.
  Posted: 2003-02-04
• Chemical Pollutants and Toxic Effects on Benthic Organisms, Biscayne Bay: A Pilot Study Preceding Florida Everglades Restoration - USGS Open File Report 02-308
  This report is a printable four-page publication outlining the research project work to identify the distribution of pollutants and their effects in the Biscayne Bay, Florida. Findings will be used to assist in planning Everglades restoration and to aid in understanding recent change in local coral reef health.
  Posted: 2002-09-23
• Wetland Subsidence, Fault Reactivation, and Hydrocarbon Production in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region - USGS Fact Sheet 091-01
  Wetland losses are so extensive in the Gulf of Mexico Coast region of the United States that they represent critical concerns to government environmental agencies and natural resource managers.
  Posted: 2002-09-20
• Shallow Stratigraphic Evidence of Subsidence and Faulting Induced by Hydrocarbon Production in Coastal Southeast Texas - USGS Open File Report 01-274
  Wetland losses and their progressive conversion to open water around producing oil and gas fields in the Gulf Coast region have been attributed to a variety of natural and anthropogenic processes. Three large, mature hydrocarbon fields in coastal southeast Texas were examined to evaluate competing hypotheses of wetland losses and to characterize subaerial and submerged surfaces near reactivated faults and zones of subsidence.
  Posted: 2002-09-19
• Chemical Pollutants and Toxic Effects on Benthic Organisms, Biscayne Bay, Florida
  Through the study of benthic foraminifera in Florida's Biscayne Bay, this project seeks to identify the distribution of pollutants and their effects in the bay. Findings will be used to assist in planning Everglades restoration and to aid in understanding recent change in local coral reef health.
  Posted: 2002-08-27
• Coral Mortality and African Dust Photo Gallery - Four Decades of Change
  Photographs of corals in the Key Largo Coral Reef Marine Sanctuary in Florida illustrate the notable changes that have occurred over the past four decades.
  Posted: 2002-05-22
• Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin - USGS Open File Report 02-206
  The Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin provides citizens, planners, managers, educators, scientists and other professionals with a multidisciplinary and integrated source of information on Lake Pontchartrain and its surrounding Basin.
  Posted: 2002-05-14
• Geomorphic Classification Of Coastal Land Loss Between 1932 And 1990 In The Mississippi River Delta Plain, Southeastern Louisiana
  A 34x45 inch Poster (pdf) on changes in part of the low-lying Mississippi delta over a 58 year period.
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• Process Classification Of Coastal Land Loss Between 1932 And 1990 In The Mississippi River Delta Plain, Southeastern Louisiana
  Informative poster: 34x45 inches (pdf) on causes and mechanisms of land loss in a low-lying coastal area of the Mississippi delta.
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• USGS - Boston Harbor Ecosystems
  Links to ecosystems information related to Boston harbor
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• Red Tides in Western Gulf of Maine
  Description of Research Project on Toxic "Red Tide" Populations in the Western Gulf of Maine: Sources, Transport, and Nutrient Environment
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• An Environmental and Geological Bibliography for Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana
  This presentation has been prepared both as a CD ROM and as a Web site for those with access to the Internet. It contains examples of illustrations that would not be available in normal local libraries, including a slide show designed to introduce Lake Pontchartrain to school and general audiences, satellite photographs, and downloadable environmental atlas pages. It also includes information on presentations and organizations involved in a series of scientific conferences on the environment of Lake Pontchartrain.
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site Maps
  The site lies 17 nautical miles east of the entrance to Boston Harbor and is adjacent to the boundary of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The area has had a complex history since the 1940's. The USGS/NOAA cooperative mapping program has acquired multibeam echo-sounder data in combination with video and still photos to describe the character of the sea floor and produce interpretive maps of the region. The maps were published in 1996, and are made available on this CD-ROM in Portable Document File, Encapsulated PostScript, and PostScript formats. Includes a gallery of bottom photographs.
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region off Boston, Massachusetts, USGS National Geologic Studies of Benthic Habitats, Northeastern United States
  USGS national geologic studies of benthic habitats, northern United States; Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• USGS Studies in Long Island Sound: Geology, Contaminants, and Environmental Issues
  Long Island Sound is a major coastal estuary near the New York-Connecticut metropolitan area. More than eight million people live in its watershed. Due to the enormous population, the Sound is used heavily and its sea floor has been impacted by human activities. There are many benthic habitats in the Sound that support large commercial and recreational fisheries. Sediments of the Sound are a sink for wastes and contaminants from various sources such as wastewater treatment plants, urban and agricultural runoff, and waste disposal.
  Posted: 2002-04-24
• Boston Harbor/ Massachusetts Bay Studies
  Environmental effects of the Boston sewage outfall tunnel are being studied using computer simulations of ocean circulation and dilution of sewage from the tunnel, also mapping and sediment analyses to find the pathways and ultimate repositories of contaminants from the Boston Metropolitan area, and monitoring to establish a baseline of contaminant levels in sediments and to document their natural variability.
  Posted: 2002-04-23
• Seafloor Characterization Offshore New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area using sidescan sonar
  A preliminary synthesis of systematic high-resolution mapping of the sea floor in the New York Bight Apex, using sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection profiles. The survey provides a new and detailed view of the sea floor, and a new framework for understanding the regional sediment transport system of the New York Bight.
  Posted: 2002-04-23
• Long Island Sound Environmental Studies
  Reports and maps on acoustic and textural features of Long Island Sound bottom sediments; Sidescan-sonar imagery of areas off Hammonasset Beach state park, Norwalk, Niantic Bay, Milford, Fishers Island Sound, Falkner Island, New Haven, New London, CT, and Roanoke Pt., NY. Also, articles on a surficial sediment data, benthic communities and contaminants, and currents, and a bibliography.
  Posted: 2002-04-23
• Georeferenced Sea-Floor Mapping and Bottom Photography in Long Island Sound
  Extensive information in 12 separate chapters on geology (including late-Pleistocene stratigraphy, and a free-air gravity anomaly map indicative deep substructure), surface sediments, organic carbon, benthic enviroments, megafaunal environments, contaminanats such as metals, mercury, and a bacterial indicator of human pollution; GIS referenced mapping data, and a collection of bottom photographs; Environmental changes 1940s to 1990s.
  Posted: 2002-04-23
• Geologic History of Cape Cod Massachusetts
  Cape Cod is a sandy peninsula built mostly during the ice age and juts into the Atlantic Ocean like a crooked arm. Geologists are interested in Cape Cod because it was formed, by glaciers, very recently in terms of geologic time and because of the ever changing shore as the Cape adjusts to the rising sea. This is an online version of USGS geologist Robert Oldale's popular circular.
  Posted: 2002-04-23
• Lake Pontchartrain, LA, Geochemistry
  Geology, geologic history, sediments, circulation, satellite imagery, of Lake Pontchartrain, LA, and a sediment database and geochemical assessment of the Lake.
  Posted: 2002-04-23
• Coral Reefs in Honduras: Status after Hurricane Mitch - Online Mini-Documentary Movie
  "Coral Reefs in Honduras: Status after Hurricane Mitch" is an eight minute mini-documentary featuring geologist Bob Halley describing the USGS response in the wake of Hurricane Mitch to assess the impact of the storm on Caribbean coral reefs off Honduras. Narrated by geologist Terry Edgar.
  Posted: 2002-04-05
• U.S. Geological Survey Studies in the New York Bight
  Since 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey`s Coastal and Marine Geology Program has been conducting studies offshore of New York designed to map and characterize the sea floor, to understand the transport and fate of sediments and associated pollutants, to map the inner shelf and sand deposits along the southern shore of Long Island, and to understand the recent geologic history. A long-term goal of these geological studies is to develop predictive models and geologic information to guide research and sustainable use of the coastal ocean.
  Posted: 2001-12-14
• Online Mini-Documentary Movie - The Effects of Globally Transported African and Asian Dust on Coral Reef and Human Health
  "The Effects of Globally Transported African and Asian Dust on Coral Reef and Human Health" is an eight minute mini-documentary featuring biologist Ginger Garrison, geologist Gene Shinn, chemist Chuck Holmes, and microbiologist Dale Griffin as they explain the deterioration of Caribbean coral health over the past several decades, and how unlocking the key role of trans-Atlantic dust transport has opened the door to understanding the effects and implications of this global phenomenon. Narrated by geologist Terry Edgar.
  Posted: 2001-11-08
• Coral Reefs in Honduras: Status after Hurricane Mitch - USGS Open File Report 01-133
  In response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Mitch in Honduras, the United States Geological Survey performed a study to determine the impact the storm had on the coral reef systems of Cayos Cochinos and Roatan, Honduras.
  Posted: 2001-10-14
• Remote Sensing Applications to Coral Reef Environments
  The main goal of this project is to investigate and analyze remotely sensed image data to determine their applicability for detecting and mapping the location of live and dead reef areas, density of coral cover, and the major type of coral present, as well as algae, silt/mud, and carbonate sand cover.
  Posted: 2001-09-04
• USGS Fact Sheet 061-01: Habitat Geology Studies on and near Georges Bank, off New England
  Habitat Geology Studies on and near Georges Bank, off New England
  Posted: 2001-08-06
• USGS TerraWeb for Kids!
  Satellite and sonar images, remote sensing education, and activities just for KIDS!
  Posted: 2001-08-01
• Mapping Coastal Change Hazards
  An illustrated discussion of coastal change hazards and the work that the U.S. Geological Survey is doing to map and understand these hazards.
  Posted: 2001-05-03
• 1998 Earthquake Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound, Washington
  Seismic hazards investigation in Puget Sound to provide public information for mitigating a potential earthquake disaster in the Pacific Northwest.
  Posted: 2001-03-08
• Great Lakes Mapping Project
  Initiative to map lake bathymetry and classify lakebed materials to advance knowledge of Great Lakes and enable better management of Great Lakes resources.
  Posted: 2000-12-12
• Navassa Island: A Photographic Tour
  Several thematic photographic tours of the Caribbean island of Navassa, compiled from photographs taken by USGS geologists Dr. Robert Halley and Don Hickey during their trip to the island as part of the Caribbean Quest expedition sponsored by the Discovery Channel.
  Posted: 2000-08-19
• Gulf of the Farallones Waste-Disposal Issues
  Studies about disposal of radioactive waste and dredged material in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, offshore of San Francisco, California
  Posted: 2000-07-19
• Sediment-Transport Workshop Report
  Report of the Community Sediment Transport Modeling Workshop, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, U. S. A. on 22-23 June, 2000
  Posted: 2000-06-23
• USGS TerraWeb: Remote Sensing & Sonoma Bay Wetlands Restoration Study
  Using remote sensing to study and monitor wetland restoration at the Sonoma Baylands in San Francisco Bay. View Landsat TM satellite images, aerial photography, and ground photography.
  Posted: 2000-04-01
• Geologic Characterization of Lakes and Rivers of Northeast Florida
  This study is part of a series of cooperative investigations conducted from 1993 to 1997 of inland and offshore waters and adjacent terrain throughout much of the St. Johns River Water Management District in northeastern Florida.
  Posted: 2000-03-03
• Mamala Bay Dredge Disposal Studies
  Fate of Dredge Disposal Material and Polluted Sediment, Offshore Honolulu, Hawaii
  Posted: 1999-09-13
• National Coastal Assessment
  The coastal margin of the US is among the most densely populated, developed, property valued, tax generating, income generating, and recreational valued region of the US. The dynamic natural processes and human-induced changes within this margin are poorly understood yet result in a highly mobile coastal zone that is subject to rapid (decadal or less) change. The goal of this project is to develop a GIS based inventory of scientific data including those variables known to contribute to coastal change.
  Posted: 1999-05-14
• FS 78-99: Contaminated-Sediment Database Development for Boston Harbor
  USGS scientists undertook a pioneering effort to assemble a database from all available sources of information on chemicals in sediments of the Boston Harbor study area. The database was created to help understand the distribution of sediment contaminants and their sources, transport, and other processes and to support environmental management. The work involved collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and other organizations. More than 100,000 sediment measurements from more than 3,000 samples were gleaned from 1,500 references.
  Posted: 1999-03-05
• Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Studies
  The USGS Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Project gathers, interprets, and distributes geologic information - tools necessary for sound resource protection and preservation of the federally established Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This web site provides access to that information.
  Posted: 1999-02-22
• Hydrocarbons in Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary
  Description and interpretation of hydrocarbons associated with fluid venting processes in Monterey Bay, California.
  Posted: 1999-02-17
• Massachusetts Bay Seafloor: Mapping Sedimentary Environments
  The modern seafloor sedimentary environments within the glaciated, topographically complex Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay area have been interpreted and mapped from an extensive collection of sidescan sonar records and supplemental marine geologic data. These data outline three categories of sedimentary environments that reflect the predominant long-term processes of erosion, deposition, and sediment reworking.
  Posted: 1999-01-21
• Hurricane Georges Coastal Impacts - Pre/Post-Storm Oblique Aerial Photography
  This set of oblique aerial photogrpahy covers three areas impacted by Hurricane Georges in September, 1998 - Puerto Rico, the Florida Keys, and Gulf Coast barrier islands off Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
  Posted: 1998-10-14
• 1995 West Coast Flood Deposits
  STRATAFORM Project aims to understand the coastal margin stratigraphy and collect information on past climate change and sea level fluctuation along the California coast, as well as information relating to pollutant transport.
  Posted: 1998-08-14
• Contaminated Sea-floor Sediment off Palos Verdes California
  Mapping the areal and subbottom distribution of DDT and PCBs to predict the future distribution of these contaminants
  Posted: 1998-08-03
• Pollution and Waste Disposal Studies, Los Angeles Shelf
  Studies of sediment and pollutant transport processes near Los Angeles, CA
  Posted: 1998-06-10
• USGS TerraWeb: USGS: Seafloor Imagery of the Monterey Bay Continental Shelf
  Information and imagery about the collection and image processing of sonar data to create a seafloor map of Monterey Bay. View images and maps hosted on the USGS TerraWeb Remote Sensing Web Server.
  Posted: 1998-05-28
• USGS TerraWeb: San Francisco Bay - Multibeam Backscatter Data: Alcatraz Island and West-Central Bay Areas
  Remote sensing in the Central San Francisco Bay Region, featuring multibeam backscatter and bathymetry mosaics products enhanced with satellite imagery. The image maps featured were created to help study sediment and pollutant transport in Central San Francisco Bay -- visit this page for links to the Sediment and Pollutant Trasport project and related web pages.
  Posted: 1998-05-20
• Coasts in Crisis - Corals, Wetlands, and Hurricanes
  Educational background information on corals, wetlands, and hurricanes, and why we study them.
  Posted: 1998-05-05
• Marine Geology of Benthic Biohabitats in Glacier Bay, Alaska
  A project to characterize the seafloor habitats in Glacier Bay, Alaska, including geomorphic, sedimentologic, and stratigraphic descriptions, based on acoustic imaging and profiling of the fjord floor
  Posted: 1998-03-26
• Camera Survey of Effluent-Affected Sediment offshore Los Angeles, California
  AGU abstract on pollution offshore of Los Angeles CA
  Posted: 1998-01-29
• OFR 95-839: Sediment Chemistry and Biological Sampling off Honolulu
  Cruise Report of mapping dredge disposal area off Honolulu, Hawaii
  Posted: 1997-10-08
• OFR 95-17: Acoustic Mapping of Disposal Sites off Honolulu
  Final report in series of analyses studying environmental impact of dredge-material disposal offshore of Honolulu
  Posted: 1997-10-08
• Grand Canyon Colorado River Studies
  Studies of sediment transport in the Grand Canyon, Arizona - using ocean research techniques to study a river system.
  Posted: 1997-06-09
• Monterey Bay Current Meter Deployment
  McGaw cruise to deploy current meters in Monterey Bay
  Posted: 1996-08-18
• USGS TerraWeb: San Francisco Bay Change Detection
  Information about the contributions of remote sensing to a research program designed to further the understanding of pristine wetlands, water quality and their changes over the past 150 years. Such information is needed by ecosystem managers trying to determine the recent rate of wetlands loss and water quality changes. The main focus of this project is to generate and analyze digital 'change images' that will show, both visually and statistically, how much and where changes have occurred in the San Francisco Bay Ecosystem. The image data will show both wetland changes and water flow/sediment patterns and changes (keeping in mind that the water change information will be specific for the dates being analyzed).
  Posted: 1995-04-07