Coral Reef Project: Puerto Rico
Science Center Objects
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 Maria. 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.
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.
(Credit: Shawn Harrison. Public domain.)
A wave-tide gauge, pictured here on a coral reef amongst among sea rods, brain corals, and sea fans, is installed off Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
(Credit: Curt Storlazzi, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center. Public domain.)
Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.
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Date published: October 8, 2020Status: ActiveUsing Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Tres Palmas
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.
Contacts: Curt Storlazzi, PhD, Miguel Canals-Silander, Patricia Chardon Maldonado -
Date published: July 20, 2020Status: ActiveThe 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”
Contacts: Curt Storlazzi, PhD, Michael Beck -
Date published: July 22, 2019Status: CompletedUsing 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.
Contacts: Curt Storlazzi, PhD -
2018 Supplemental Appropriations 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 the USGS $42.2 million to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2017 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and the 2017 California Wildfires.
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Assessment of Coastal Impacts in Florida and Puerto Rico
During Hurricanes Irma and Maria, much of Florida and Puerto Rico experienced significant impacts to beaches, dunes, and coral reefs. Extensive erosion, flooding, and coral losses result in increased immediate and long-term hazards to natural and populated shorelines, putting critical infrastructure at risk to future flooding and erosion and causing economic losses.
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Equipment Repair and Replacement—Coral Reef Monitoring Equipment in Puerto Rico
The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force has ongoing priority studies to guide watershed and coral reef restoration to reduce coastal hazards and increase the resiliency of coastal communities in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria damaged or destroyed sensors and associated hardware related to this work.
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Year Published: 2019Rigorously 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.Attribution: Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources ProgramView CitationStorlazzi, C.D., Reguero, B.G., Cole, A.D., Lowe, E., Shope, J.B., Gibbs, A.E., Nickel, B.A., McCall, R.T., van Dongeren, A.R., and Beck, M.W., 2019, Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019–1027, 42 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191027.
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...
Hinck, Jo Ellen; Stachyra, Joseph-
Date published: January 1, 2019Projected 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 ass
Attribution: Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 12: Pacific Islands (American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center -
Date published: January 1, 2019Time 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
Puerto Rico Coral Reefs and Coastal Hazard Risk Reduction
Rigorously Valuing the Role of Puerto Rico’s Coral Reefs in Coastal Hazard Risk Reduction
Estimated Annual Benefits
Maps of Puerto Rico showing the distribution of the value of averted direct building damages, indirect economic activity losses, and population annually protected from flooding by coral reefs. Results at 10 m2 resolution are
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The value of US coral reefs for risk reduction - Puerto Rico, 2
The value of U.S. coral reefs for risk reduction: Facts for Puerto Rico [See pamphlet page 1]
Key points
- The social and economic benefits provided by all U.S. reefs were rigorously assessed across more than 3,100 km (>1,900 miles) of coastline using hydrodynamic models
The value of US coral reefs for risk reduction - Puerto Rico
The value of U.S. coral reefs for risk reduction: Facts for Puerto Rico
Key points
- The social and economic benefits provided by all U.S. reefs were rigorously assessed across more than 3,100 km (>1,900 miles) of coastline using hydrodynamic models coupled with census data.
- Annually, reefs in Puerto Rico provide flood protection benefits to
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, are using video imagery and wave measurements to study flood hazards in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Date published: September 7, 2018Hurricane 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 Puerto Rico.