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Coral Reef Project: Puerto Rico Active

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center June 25, 2021

To better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines, USGS scientists have installed video cameras and oceanographic instruments off San Juan and Rincón, Puerto Rico. Their work is part of a study funded by USGS after Hurricanes Irma and María. The offshore instruments measure wave heights and speeds; the onshore video cameras show where waves break on the reef and how high they run up on the shore. USGS is collaborating with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, and Arrecifes Pro Ciudad to support reef-restoration efforts in the Isla Verde Coral Reef Marine Reserve and reduce flooding hazards to San Juan and its international airport.

Coral Reef Project
Underwater instrument package that collected unique, high-resolution underwater ocean observations during Hurricane María.
Underwater instrument package that collected a unique, high-resolution dataset of underwater ocean observations during Hurricane María. The instrument package was deployed on a carbonate spur at a depth of 54 meters on the insular slope ~12 kilometers offshore of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. The instrument package included an acoustic current profiler, an acoustic current velocimeter, and temperature, salinity, and turbidity sensors.

 

View looks to a beach from a grassy area with palm trees and a tall pole secured with guy wires, cameras are mounted at the top.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Four video cameras look westward over the coast and the coral reef at Tres Palmas in Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico. Two cameras look out at the horizon and over the ocean for the mid-field view; one camera offers a zoomed-in, far-field view overlooking the reef and out to the island of Desecheo, a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge; and another camera focuses on the beach.

 

Shallow, underwater photo of a reef with various species of corals growing on the rocky substrate.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
A wave-tide gauge, pictured here on a coral reef amongst sea rods, brain corals, and sea fans, installed off Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

 

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

Coral Reef Project

Coral head that looks like lettuce sits on sandy bottom in clear blue water and is surrounded by brightly colored fish.

Learn about our current studies by topic.

Coral Reef Project

Project Study Locations

A geologic tour of the Hawaiian Islands: Maui...

Learn about our current studies by location.

Study Locations

Coral Reef Facts

Simple illustration of coral anatomy showing tentacles, mouth, polyps, corallium, nenatocysts, zooxanthellae.

Learn basic facts about corals and reefs.

Coral Reef Facts
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View from the sky of a tropical coastline and a beach with ocean water so clear the coral reef can be seen.

Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Tres Palmas

To study wave dynamics along an active coastline, video cameras were installed on the west coast of Puerto Rico at Tres Palmas in Rincón.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Tres Palmas

To study wave dynamics along an active coastline, video cameras were installed on the west coast of Puerto Rico at Tres Palmas in Rincón.
Learn More
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Value of US Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction

The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction

Summary of the report, “Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction”

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The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction

Summary of the report, “Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction”

Learn More
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View from atop a building looks down on a sandy beach with a rainbow, palm tree just below view, and buildings in distance.

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.
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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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.
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

Projected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods for the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico before and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria due to the storms' damage to the coral reefs

This data release provides flooding extent polygons based on wave-driven total water levels for the coral lined coast of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The wave and sea-level conditions were then propagated using the XBeach over 100-m spaced shore-normal transects modified to account for base and post-storm scenarios. In situ observations following hurricanes Irma and Maria were used
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes

Projected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods for the State of Florida, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands for current and potentially restored coral reefs

This data release provides flooding extent polygons based on wave-driven total water levels for the coral lined coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The locations of the restoration lines along and across shore were defined by the presence of continuous coral/hardbottom habitat of greater than 100 m alongshore length and proximity to the 3-m depth contour. The wave and sea
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes

Cross-reef wave and water level data from coral reef environments

Coral reefs provide important protection for tropical coastlines against the impact of large waves and storm damage by energy dissipation through wave breaking and bottom friction. However, climate change and sea level rise have led to growing concern for how the hydrodynamics across these reefs will evolve and whether these changes will leave tropical coastlines more vulnerable to large wave even
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Geochemical and isotopic compositions of stream sediment, parent rock, and nearshore sediment from southwest Puerto Rico, April 2017-June 2018

Geochemical and isotopic compositions were determined in stream sediment and parent rocks collected in April 2017 and June 2017 and in nearshore sediment collected bimonthly in sediment traps from May 2017 to June 2018 in the coastal zone and 12 drainages of southwest Puerto Rico: Rio Loco, Yauco, Guayanilla, Macana, Tallaboa, Matilde, Portugues, Bucana, Inabon, Jacaquas, Descalabrado, and Coamo.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes

Time series data of oceanographic conditions from La Parguera, Puerto Rico, 2017-2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment

Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and salinity collected between 17 May 2017 and 17 Jan 2018 off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico in support of a study on circulation and sediment transport dynamics over coral reefs. The data are available in NetCDF format, grouped together in zip files by instrument site location. A README.txt file details the files cont
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Projected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods, with and without coral reefs, for the States of Hawaii and Florida, the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,

This data release provides flooding extent polygons (flood masks) and depth values (flood points) based on wave-driven total water levels for 22 locations within the States of Hawaii and Florida, the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For each of the 22 locations there are eight associated flood mask
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Maps and report summaries listed below are from “The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction” and accompany USGS Open-File Report 2019-1027, “Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction”

Aerial imagery of islands are marked to show different data about each island's coast.
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Below are publications associated with this project.

Rigorously valuing the coastal hazard risks reduction provided by potential coral reef restoration in Florida and Puerto Rico

The restoration of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, can reduce risks by decreasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. In the United States, the protective services provided by coral reefs were recently assessed in social and economic terms, with the annual protection provided by U.S. coral reefs off the coasts of the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Borja G. Reguero, Kristen A. Cumming, Aaron Cole, James B. Shope, Camila Gaido L., T. Shay Viehman, Barry A. Nickel, Michael W. Beck
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricanes

Rigorously valuing the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on coastal hazard risks in Florida and Puerto Rico

The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. In the United States, the physical protective services provided by coral reefs were recently assessed in social and economic terms, with the annual protection provided by U.S. coral reefs off the coasts of the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of Pu
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Borja G. Reguero, T. Shay Viehman, Kristen A. Cumming, Aaron Cole, James B. Shope, Sarah H. Groves, Camila Gaido L., Barry A. Nickel, Michael W. Beck
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes

Land-based sediment sources and transport to southwest Puerto Rico coral reefs after Hurricane Maria, May 2017 to June 2018

The effects of runoff from land on nearshore ecosystems, including coral reef communities, are influenced by both sediment supply and removal by coastal processes. Integrated studies across the land-sea interface describing sources and transport of terrestrial sediment and its nearshore fate allow reef protection initiatives to target key onshore and offshore areas. Geochemical signatures in the f
Authors
Renee K. Takesue, Clark E Sherman, Aaron O. Reyes, Olivia Cheriton, Natalia I. Ramirez, Roberto Viqueira Ríos, Curt Storlazzi
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes

Rapid observations of ocean dynamics and stratification along a steep island coast during Hurricane María

Hurricanes are extreme storms that affect coastal communities, but the linkages between hurricane forcing and ocean dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we present full water column observations at unprecedented resolution from the southwest Puerto Rico insular shelf and slope during Hurricane María, representing a rare set of high-frequency, subsurface, oceanographic observations collected al

Authors
Olivia Cheriton, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Clark E Sherman, Wilford Schmidt
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes

The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction

Habitats, such as coral reefs, can mitigate increasing flood damages through coastal protection services. We provide a fine-scale, national valuation of the flood risk reduction benefits of coral habitats to people, property, economies and infrastructure. Across 3,100 km of US coastline, the top-most 1 m of coral reefs prevents the 100-yr flood from growing by 23% (113 km2), avoiding flooding to 5
Authors
Borja G. Reguero, Curt Storlazzi, Ann E. Gibbs, James B. Shope, Aaron Cole, Kristen A. Cumming, Mike Beck
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

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. Here we combine engineering, ecologic, geospatial
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Borja G. Reguero, Aaron Cole, Erik Lowe, James B. Shope, Ann E. Gibbs, Barry A. Nickel, Robert T. McCall, Ap R. van Dongeren, Michael W. Beck
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

2018 hurricane and wildfire supplemental funding: USGS recovery activities

The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123), was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided $42.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for equipment repair and replacement, high-resolution elevation data collection in both hurricane- and wildfire-impacted areas, and scientific studies and assessments that will

Authors
Jo Ellen Hinck, Joseph Stachyra
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Wildland Fire Science

The effectiveness of coral reefs for coastal hazard risk reduction and adaptation

The world’s coastal zones are experiencing rapid development and an increase in storms and flooding. These hazards put coastal communities at heightened risk, which may increase with habitat loss. Here we analyse globally the role and cost effectiveness of coral reefs in risk reduction. Meta-analyses reveal that coral reefs provide substantial protection against natural hazards by reducing wave en
Authors
Filippo Ferrario, Michael W. Beck, Curt D. Storlazzi, Fiorenza Micheli, Christine C. Shepard, Laura Airoldi
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

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USGS Scientists Add Another Piece to Puzzle of How Hurricanes Can Gain Strength

Unique observations collected by U.S. Geological Survey scientists during Hurricane María in 2017, revealed previously unknown ocean processes that...

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Studying flood hazards in San Juan, Puerto Rico

USGS scientists from Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, along with with NOAA, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, and Arrecifes Pro Ciudad...

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Hurricane Maria’s impacts on deep-water coral reefs off Puerto Rico

USGS research geologist Curt Storlazzi was quoted in an August 22 Nature news article about Hurricane Maria’s effects on deep-water coral reefs off...

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