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News from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Deep-Sea Studies

A map showing the ocean floor with shades of color to indicate changing depth, nd other demarkations to show various features

In 2022, the USGS and partners embarked on a research expedition to Escanaba Trough off the coast of northern California. The multidisciplinary crew collected samples with a remotely operated vehicle and tested new seafloor mapping techniques using an autonomous underwater vehicle.

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Sound Waves Newsletter

An animated GIF of a coral reef in American Samoa, showing colorful reef fish darting in and out of the coral

Read issues of the Sound Waves Newsletter, featuring “Coastal and Marine Research News from Across the USGS”

Sound Waves Newsletter
Filter Total Items: 593
How Waterfalls Shape Mountain Rivers

How Waterfalls Shape Mountain Rivers

In new research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, scientists from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and USGS...

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What We Do: Coastal and Marine Science at USGS Santa Cruz

What We Do: Coastal and Marine Science at USGS Santa Cruz

A new booklet provides an overview of the coastal and marine research conducted by the USGS in Santa Cruz, California. 

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USGS Researchers Return to Eastern Galapágos Spreading Center

USGS Researchers Return to Eastern Galapágos Spreading Center

A research team including USGS scientists returned to the Eastern Galapágos Spreading Center to investigate its deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where...

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PCMSC Scientists Among USGS Contributors to National Climate Assessment

PCMSC Scientists Among USGS Contributors to National Climate Assessment

Scientists from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) are among dozens of USGS contributors to the Fifth National Climate Assessment...

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Why we have better maps of Mars than of the seafloor—and what USGS is doing to change that

Why we have better maps of Mars than of the seafloor—and what USGS is doing to change that

The ocean covers 71% of Earth’s surface. We know only a small fraction of what the land beneath the waves looks like.

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Shifting Practices of Dam Management and Dam Removal in a Changing World

Shifting Practices of Dam Management and Dam Removal in a Changing World

The era of large dam construction, which peaked in the U.S. six decades ago, is now giving way to an evolved paradigm. Climate change, population...

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USGS-Led Study Reassesses Earthquake Hazard Potential for Central California’s Hosgri Fault

USGS-Led Study Reassesses Earthquake Hazard Potential for Central California’s Hosgri Fault

Assessing earthquake hazards demands a comprehensive understanding of active faults, including their location, length, connectivity, slip rate, and...

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Photo Roundup: July-October 2023

Photo Roundup: July-October 2023

A selection of coastal and ocean videos and photographs from across the USGS.

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News Briefs: July-October 2023

News Briefs: July-October 2023

News Briefs - featuring coastal and ocean science from across the USGS.

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Methane Seep Distribution in the Cascadia Subduction Zone

Methane Seep Distribution in the Cascadia Subduction Zone

Beneath the seafloor lie vast stores of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—produced by the degradation of organic material, either by the earth’s heat or...

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Using Climate Models for Global Storm Surge Projections

Using Climate Models for Global Storm Surge Projections

In new research, an international team of scientists including USGS oceanographers utilized advanced global hydrodynamic and climate models to project...

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