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
New evidence for a roughly 600-year-old tsunami impacting the Hawaiian Islands
In a comprehensive survey of Hawaiian tsunami deposits, USGS scientists from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center and collaborators found evidence for a widespread tsunami striking the islands between 1250 and 1450 CE.
Signs of 1906 Earthquake in Offshore Map of Northern San Andreas
Ocean engineer gives students a tour of USGS facilities
Schools are welcome to contact USGS about tours in Santa Cruz, California.
Publications
Assessing morphologic controls on atoll island alongshore sediment transport gradients due to future sea-level rise
Atoll islands’ alongshore sediment transport gradients depend on how island and reef morphology affect incident wave energy. It is unclear, though, how potential atoll morphologic configurations influence shoreline erosion and/or accretion patterns, and how these relationships will respond to future sea-level rise (SLR). Schematic atoll models...
Shope, James B.; Storlazzi, Curt D. Spatial and temporal variability in ripple formation and migration across a coral reef flat and lagoon
Sediment produced on fringing coral reefs that is transported along the bed or in suspension affects ecological reef communities as well as the morphological development of the reef, lagoon, and adjacent shoreline. This study quantified the physical process contribution and relative importance of sea‐swell waves, infragravity waves, and mean...
Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Pomeroy, Andrew; Cheriton, Olivia; Lowe, Ryan J.; Hansen, Jeff
Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision making...
Storlazzi, Curt D.; Reguero, Borja G.; Cole, Aaron D.; Lowe, Erik; Shope, James B.; Gibbs, Ann E.; Nickel, Barry A.; McCall, Robert T.; van Dongeren, Ap R.; Beck, Michael W.