Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Before-and-after Hurricane Matthew coastal photos of the southeastern states, working with Indian government’s gas hydrates drilling expedition, using historical photos to measure coastal erosion, identifying stable areas of the seafloor for wind turbines, USGS participates in summertime Science Stroll event on Cape Cod, and more and this issue October-December 2016 issue of Sound

The stories in the October-December 2016 issue of Sound Waves featuring coastal and marine research from across the USGS.

Download the October-December 2016 issue of Sound Waves (PDF)

Cover Story

Before-and-After Photos: SE Beach Dunes Lost to Hurricane Matthew
These figures are derived from USGS experts' preliminary review of USGS low-altitude before-and-after images along the coast and NOAA photographs collected after the storm.

Fieldwork

USGS Scientists Participate in Indian Ocean Gas Hydrates Drilling
During the summer of 2015, USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program personnel participated in the Indian Government’s National Gas Hydrates Program (NGHP-02) drilling expedition offshore from eastern India.

Recent Fieldwork
USGS scientists visited more than 20 locations in October and November 2016, studying Hurricane Matthew effects, coral growth, earthquake history, and much more. Here’s a quick review of some coastal and offshore fieldwork by our researchers.

Research

New Maps from Old Photos: Measuring Coastal Erosion in California
USGS scientists and their coauthors from the California Coastal Records Project have found a way to use historical aerial photographs not just to see evidence of coastal erosion, but to accurately measure how much has occurred over time.

In Search of a Solid Footing for Offshore Wind Turbines
It is essential to identify areas of the seafloor that will provide a stable foundation for wind turbine towers over the long term. Knowledge of seafloor geology plays an important role in making this determination.

Outreach

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Participates in the 2nd Annual Woods Hole Science Stroll
The Center’s gas hydrates, sediment transport, and seafloor mapping groups provided hands-on demonstrations under the USGS tent at the Science Stroll.

Awards

James Hein Wins Prestigious Moore Medal Award from the International Marine Minerals Society
Research geologist is awarded for his 43-year scientific career dedicated to the study of marine minerals with the USGS.

International Recognition for Historic Elwha River Restoration
The collaborative work of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to restore the Elwha River of Washington, USA, was recognized as a world-renowned restoration project during the awarding of the 2016 Thiess International Riverprize.

Meetings

Coastal and Marine Scientists Talk About the AGU Fall Meeting
The American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting is the largest gathering of Earth scientists in the world.

A Spotlight on the Enigmatic Atlantic Canyons
Six USGS scientists presented their research at the 6th International Symposium on Deep-Sea Corals in September, 2016. This all-female force hailed from USGS centers in West Virginia, California, and Florida.

USGS Participates in SACNAS National Conference
This year the annual conference was held in Long Beach, California, from October 13–15, 2016.

Staff and Center News

Visiting Russian Scholar Studying Ferromanganese Crusts and Nodules from the Arctic Ocean
Natalia Konstantinova is currently a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Saint Petersburg State University in Russia. Her academic advisor is Georgy Cherkashov, professor at the university, and her thesis advisor is James Hein, research geologist at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California.

News Briefs

Highlighted Coastal and Marine Research News from Across the USGS

Publications

Structured Decision Making in Barrier Island Restoration
Study demonstrates the potential for informing management decisions and guiding the focus of scientific research

Recent Publications
List of USGS publications on coastal and marine research.

Get Our News

These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics, locations, and more. You can install and RSS reader browser extension, software, or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added. If you click the feed links below, they may look strange because they are simply XML code. An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site.