Ocean Ecosystems

As part of the Coral Reef Project, the USGS is working closely with other local groups to investigate poor water quality issues in Maunalua Bay on the southeast coast of Oʻahu.

USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.

The overall objective of this research effort is to better understand how circulation and sediment processes impact coral reefs.

From June 12 to July 3, 2019, the USGS sailed onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor with several other partners, seeking methane seeps along the seafloor of several underwater canyons off the coast of Oregon and Washington. On this cruise, USGS scientists will seek to understand how much methane is coming out of these seeps, how it travels through the water column, and its ultimate fate in...

Coral reefs are unique ecosystems of plants, animals, and their associated geological framework. Although they cover less than 0.5% of Earth's surface, coral reefs are home to an estimated 25% of all marine species. Of the total coral reef habitat in United States waters, about 75%, or more than 16,000 square kilometers (6,000 square miles), is located in the Pacific Ocean.

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.

Information about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's oceanographic studies offshore of San Francisco Bay, from 1989-2003.

Information about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center 's 2003 study on island-hopping coral larvae in Hawaii.