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Publications

Scientific reports, journal articles, and information products produced by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.

Filter Total Items: 1452

The biosphere in the Anthropocene The biosphere in the Anthropocene

Earth’s biosphere is in a period of rapid change, resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, habitat loss and species translocation and extinction. The extraordinary pace of change has led to the suggestion that we live in a new geological epoch of time called the Anthropocene. In this theme issue, we explore the major changes to the terrestrial and marine biospheres...
Authors
Mark Williams, Mary L. McGann, Moriaki Yasuhara, Chhaya Chaudhary, Lisa Barber, Kerry Allen

Coral reef protection may help avert risks to people, property, and economic activity caused by projected reef degradation Coral reef protection may help avert risks to people, property, and economic activity caused by projected reef degradation

Degradation of coral reefs over the past several decades has caused regional-scale erosion of the shallow seafloor that serves as a protective barrier against coastal hazards along southeast Florida, USA. How future change in coral reefs may affect coastal flooding, however, has been less attended than other factors contributing to increasing risks such as sea-level rise and more intense...
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Borja Reguero, Kimberly Yates, Kristen Alkins, James B. Shope, Camila Gaido-Lasserre, Theresa Fregoso, Michael W. Beck

Widespread abyssal turbidites record megathrust earthquake-triggered landslides and coseismic deformation in the Cascadia subduction zone Widespread abyssal turbidites record megathrust earthquake-triggered landslides and coseismic deformation in the Cascadia subduction zone

Abyssal marine turbidites provide some of the longest and most spatially extensive records of subduction zone earthquake recurrence globally; however, correlation of these deposits over long distances and interpretation of synchronous emplacement requires both an understanding of the turbidite generating systems and precise dating. Here, we present an integrated suite of high-resolution...
Authors
Jenna C. Hill, Janet Watt, Charles K. Paull, David W Caress, Daniel S. Brothers, Kevin Arizmendi, Roberto Gwiazda, Jared W. Kluesner, Eve M. Lundsten, Nora Maria Nieminski, Jason Scott Padgett, Jennifer B. Paduan, George Ramath Snyder

Biophysical controls on sediment erodibility in shallow estuarine embayments Biophysical controls on sediment erodibility in shallow estuarine embayments

The erodibility of cohesive sediment is known to vary both spatially and temporally but the factors governing its variation are not well understood. We conducted a field investigation of the influence of hydrodynamic forcing, sediment properties, and benthic infauna on erodibility in the muddy shallows of San Pablo and Grizzly Bays in northern San Francisco Bay in summer 2019 and winter...
Authors
Jessica R. Lacy, Samantha C. McGill, Janet Thompson, Rachel Allen, Francis Parchaso, David Hart, Lukas T. WinklerPrins, Joseph K. Fackrell, Andrew W. Stevens

ENSO and PDO drive shoreline position anomalies in the U.S. Pacific Northwest ENSO and PDO drive shoreline position anomalies in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

Sandy beaches act as buffers against various coastal hazards but are vulnerable to episodic (seasonal) and chronic (interannual) erosion. Understanding the variation of shoreline position, a key metric in coastal morphology, over a spectrum of time scales is therefore crucial in assessing hazard vulnerability. Long-standing research has investigated the role of El Niño-Southern...
Authors
Mohsen Taherkhani, Sean Vitousek, Marcan Graffin, Kilian Vos, Jonathan C. Allan, George M. Kaminsky, Peter Ruggiero

Tropical and subtropical coral reefs Tropical and subtropical coral reefs

Global declines in coral cover persist, owing to increasing ocean temperatures associated with climate change, continued coastal development, pollution, sedimentation, diseases and the destruction and overextraction of marine resources (through fishing and coral harvesting). These stressors have an impact on coral biodiversity, reef-associated fauna and the architectural complexity of...
Authors
Michael J. Sweet, Maria Beger, Francesca Benzoni, Emma F Camp, Javier del Campo, Kerri L. Dobson, Nohora Galvis, Mehdi Ghodrati Shojaei, Gillian Goby, Simon Harding, Danwei Huang, Viatchelav Ivanenko, William F. Precht, Zoe Richards, Buki Rinkevich, Marie-Lise Schläppy, Curt D. Storlazzi, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Karenne Tun, Sancia E.T. van der Meij, Jenny Carolina Rodriguez-Villalobos, Christian R Voolstra, Brian K Walker

Coastal development Coastal development

As a focal point of global urbanization, the coastal zone faces multiple pressures from human activities, land-sea interactions and natural disasters. Over the past five years, population, communities and infrastructure in coastal zones have consistently grown, alongside gradual economic recovery. Coastal pollution has become more complex owing to climate change and the coronavirus...
Authors
Dahai Liu, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Jahson Berhane Alemu, Louis Celliers, Piyali Chowdhury, Anya Dunham, Matthew Eliot, Alex Faerman, Yuting Hou, Olanlo Kadjogbe Abra, Jenna Lamphere, Mina Ogbanga, Aline Sbizera Martinez, Vanessa Stelzenmüller, Curt D. Storlazzi, Pascal Thoya, Karenne Tun, Ant Türkmen, Ourania Tzoraki, Wenxiu Xing

Where to restore and conserve? A regional benefit cost analysis of coral reef protection and restoration for coastal flood resilience Where to restore and conserve? A regional benefit cost analysis of coral reef protection and restoration for coastal flood resilience

Momentum is growing for the management of coral reefs as a strategy to reduce climate risks in tropical coastlines. Yet, quantification of the life-time costs, impacts, and benefits remains limited. This study provides one of the first rigorous, spatially explicit, regional-scale Benefit:Cost Analyses (BCA) for coral reef restoration and was designed to meet the BCA requirements of major...
Authors
Borja Reguero, Camila Gaido-Lassare, Curt D. Storlazzi, Valerie McNulty, Denise Perez, Michael W. Beck

Predicting sediment bulk density for San Francisco Estuary Predicting sediment bulk density for San Francisco Estuary

Sediment bulk density (ρ-dry) and particle size are two important parameters for predicting sediment bed erosion. ρ-dry, however, is difficult to measure accurately. The units of ρdry have not been consistently reported in the literature, leading to confusion, particularly in the calculation of sediment budgets that typically require integrating mass-based and volumetric components...
Authors
Samantha C. McGill, Jessica R. Lacy

Comparisons of shoreline positions from satellite-derived and traditional field- and remote-sensing techniques Comparisons of shoreline positions from satellite-derived and traditional field- and remote-sensing techniques

Satellite-derived shorelines (SDS) have the potential to help researchers answer critical coastal science questions and support work to predict coastal change by filling in the spatial and temporal gaps present in current field-based and remote-sensing data collection methods. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted comparison analyses of traditionally sourced shorelines and SDS in diverse...
Authors
Andrea C. O'Neill, Sharon F. Batiste, Daniel D. Buscombe, Joseph Burgess, Kara S. Doran, Ann E. Gibbs, Rachel E. Henderson, Julia L. Heslin, Catherine N. Janda, Mark A. Lundine, Joseph F. Terrano, Jonathan A. Warrick, Kathryn M. Weber

Wetter winters, drier summers: Quantifying the change in hydrological response around the Puget Sound area using the wflow_sbm hydrological model and CMIP6 projections Wetter winters, drier summers: Quantifying the change in hydrological response around the Puget Sound area using the wflow_sbm hydrological model and CMIP6 projections

Climate change is expected to impact hydrological regimes worldwide, including the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This study investigates how climate change will affect river discharge in the Puget Sound region of the State of Washington, with a focus on King and Pierce Counties. We simulated river discharge under historical and future conditions using the physically based...
Authors
Joost Buitink, Brendan Dalmijn, Kai Alexander Parker, Cornelis M. Nederhoff, Eric E. Grossman

Groundwater spatial variability within an atoll island: Assessing shallow aquifer heterogeneity with geophysical and physicochemical measurements Groundwater spatial variability within an atoll island: Assessing shallow aquifer heterogeneity with geophysical and physicochemical measurements

This study examines the spatial variability of shallow groundwater on Dhigelaabadhoo Island using electromagnetic induction surveys, groundwater monitoring, and sediment analyses. The research reveals how variations in island morphology—such as differences in elevation, reef flat width, and sediment composition—affect the spatial distribution of groundwater lenses and the overall aquifer...
Authors
Nidia Tobon-Velazquez, Gerd Masselink, T.J. O’Hare, Robert Bates, Ferdinand K.J. Oberle, Curt D. Storlazzi, D. C. Conley
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