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St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Research programs have a primary focus of investigating processes related to coastal and marine environments and societal implications related to natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental change.

News

SPCMSC scientist interviewed about 2023 ocean heatwave that killed threatened elkhorn coral throughout Florida

SPCMSC scientist interviewed about 2023 ocean heatwave that killed threatened elkhorn coral throughout Florida

Coral Microbial Ecology Team Participates in Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Restoration Expedition in the Gulf of Mexico

Coral Microbial Ecology Team Participates in Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Restoration Expedition in the Gulf of Mexico

SPCMSC summer interns presented at University of South Florida 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

SPCMSC summer interns presented at University of South Florida 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Publications

Projected sea-level rise and high tide flooding at Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

IntroductionNational parks and preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region contain valuable coastal habitats such as tidal wetlands and mangrove forests, as well as irreplaceable historic buildings and archeological sites located in low-lying areas. These natural and cultural resources are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise and escalating high tide flooding events. Through a Natural Resource
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas M. Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Davina L. Passeri, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons

Projected sea-level rise and high tide flooding at Biscayne National Park, Florida

IntroductionNational parks and preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region contain valuable coastal habitats such as tidal wetlands and mangrove forests, as well as irreplaceable historic buildings and archeological sites located in low-lying areas. These natural and cultural resources are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise and escalating high tide flooding events. Through a Natural Resource
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas M. Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Davina L. Passeri, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons, Jeffrey J. Danielson, W. Matthew Cushing

Wave runup and total water level observations from time series imagery at several sites with varying nearshore morphologies

Coastal imaging systems have been developed to measure wave runup and total water level (TWL) at the shoreline, which is a key metric for assessing coastal flooding and erosion. However, extracting quantitative measurements from coastal images has typically been done through the laborious task of hand-digitization of wave runup timestacks. Timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore ar
Authors
Mark L. Buckley, Daniel Buscombe, Justin J. Birchler, Margaret Louise Palmsten, Eric Swanson, Jenna A. Brown, Michael Christopher Itzkin, Curt Storlazzi, Shawn R. Harrison

Science

Cultural Heritage at Risk Tool (CHART) Project

Coastal erosion threatens the loss of Native American cultural heritage and archaeological sites located along our coastlines, reducing opportunities to increase knowledge of past communities and environments. This project leverages an advisory team of ancestral Tribes, coastal managers, and archaeologists to strengthen the effectiveness of coastal hazard data, focusing on assessing the...
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Cultural Heritage at Risk Tool (CHART) Project

Coastal erosion threatens the loss of Native American cultural heritage and archaeological sites located along our coastlines, reducing opportunities to increase knowledge of past communities and environments. This project leverages an advisory team of ancestral Tribes, coastal managers, and archaeologists to strengthen the effectiveness of coastal hazard data, focusing on assessing the...
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Antibiotic-Resistance Gene (ARG) Baselines

On Florida and Caribbean coral reefs, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused widespread destruction and loss of coral cover since its first appearance off the coast of Miami in 2014. So far, the only intervention found to be effective at halting progression of this disease and saving the lives of infected coral colonies is applying an amoxicillin paste , a type of antibiotic, to the...
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Antibiotic-Resistance Gene (ARG) Baselines

On Florida and Caribbean coral reefs, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused widespread destruction and loss of coral cover since its first appearance off the coast of Miami in 2014. So far, the only intervention found to be effective at halting progression of this disease and saving the lives of infected coral colonies is applying an amoxicillin paste , a type of antibiotic, to the...
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Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease – Investigating Possible Pathogens and Transmission Mechanisms

Coral disease was first documented on Florida reefs in the 1970s. Since then, outbreaks of diseases have increased, and disease is now one major reason why coral reefs worldwide are in decline. Although what causes most coral diseases is not known, the few with known causes have been linked to microorganisms, highlighting the need for studies of microbes associated with diseased corals.
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Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease – Investigating Possible Pathogens and Transmission Mechanisms

Coral disease was first documented on Florida reefs in the 1970s. Since then, outbreaks of diseases have increased, and disease is now one major reason why coral reefs worldwide are in decline. Although what causes most coral diseases is not known, the few with known causes have been linked to microorganisms, highlighting the need for studies of microbes associated with diseased corals.
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