Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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We conduct multidisciplinary scientific research in the coastal and offshore areas of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and other US Pacific Islands; and in other waterways of the United States.
Research Projects
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working, and why it matters
Explore Our ScienceSeminar Series

Join us for public seminars at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, CA
Upcoming SeminarsNews
Resilience along the West Coast
Briefing held on science and policy initiatives that are helping protect West Coast ecosystems and communities from erosion, sea level rise, and other coastal hazards.
WaterWords-Aragonite
Keep up to speed with the latest USGS deep-sea research cruise with this seafloor syntax.
WaterWords-Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Keep up to speed with the latest USGS deep-sea research cruise with this seafloor syntax.
Publications
Santa Barbara area coastal ecosystem vulnerability assessment
The Santa Barbara Area Coastal Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment (SBA CEVA) is a multidisciplinary research project that investigates future changes to southern Santa Barbara County climate, beaches, watersheds, wetland habitats and beach ecosystems. The target audience is local land use planners and decision makers. The main objective is to...
Myers, M.R.; Cayan, D.R.; Iacobellis, S.F.; Melack, J.M.; Beighley, R.E.; Barnard, Patrick L.; Dugan, J.E.; Page, H.M.Simple metrics predict salt-marsh sediment fluxes
The growth (or decay) of salt marshes depends on suspended-sediment flux into and out of the marsh. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) is a key element of the flux, and SSC-based metrics reflect the long-term sediment-flux trajectories of a variety of salt marshes. One metric, the flood–ebb SSC differential, correlates with area-normalized...
Nowacki, Daniel J. ; Ganju, Neil KamalPulse sediment event does not impact the metabolism of a mixed coral reef community
Sedimentation can bury corals, cause physical abrasion, and alter both spectral intensity and quality; however, few studies have quantified the effects of sedimentation on coral reef metabolism in the context of episodic sedimentation events. Here, we present the first study to measure coral community metabolism - calcification and photosynthesis...
Keisha Bahr; Ku'ulei Rodgers; Paul Jokiel; Prouty, Nancy G.; Storlazzi, Curt D.