Capabilities
Capabilities
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center conducts integrated mapping of the coastal and ocean environment to define hazards and sediment processes, to support habitat and resource management, and to monitor change. PCMSC is an innovator in mapping, laboratory analyses, and field techniques, whose expertise is sought by other governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private co
PCMSC Marine Facility
PCMSC Marine Facility
“MarFac” provides engineering, mechanical, and electronics expertise for our field operations.
Field Equipment
Field Equipment
Learn about the wide array of field equipment and capabilities at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility.
Laboratories
Laboratories
Learn all about our state-of-the-art laboratories at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California.
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PCMSC vessel San Lorenzo
Above, the view through the windshield of San Lorenzo reveals a perfect work day on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Rio Vista, California.
PCMSC research vessel Parke Snavely
Information about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's research vessel Parke Snavely , acquired in November 2007.
PCMSC MarFac Team
Below is the list of our fieldwork specialists at PCMSC's Marine Facility, or MarFac.
PCMSC MarFac Vessels
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center uses a wide variety of vessels, from kayaks to open-ocean ships, to conduct fieldwork. Most vessels are managed by our Marine Facility, or MarFac.
PCMSC vessel Jewell
Above, Jewell is prepared for a day of sampling on Grizzly Bay
GOMEX box corer
PCMSC uses the GOMEX box corer for collecting soft, deep-water sediment samples.
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Whidbey Island
From May of 2018 through November of 2019, USGS scientists collected imagery from video cameras overlooking the coast along a beach on Whidbey Island, Island County at the northern boundary of Puget Sound in western Washington.
CoSMoS 3.1: Central California
CoSMoS v3.1 for central California shows projections for future climate scenarios (sea-level rise and storms)
Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Isla Verde
USGS scientists installed video cameras atop a building and oceanographic instruments off San Juan, Puerto Rico, to better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines.
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Barter Island, Alaska
For a short study period, two video cameras overlooked the coast from atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska. The purpose was to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
California Seafloor Mapping Program data collection
Here we describe the data collection methods and techniques of the California Seaflor Mapping Program: mapping, video and photography ground-truthing, and seismic profiling data collection.
California Seafloor Mapping Program map-set production
USGS and the California Ocean Protection Council (COPC) are supporting development of peer-reviewed map sets for California’s mainland State Waters.