St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Home
Research programs have a primary focus of investigating processes related to coastal and marine environments and societal implications related to natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental change.
Science
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working, and why it matters.
Science ThemesPublications
Peer-reviewed research results and conclusions, authored by Center scientists.
Publications ListNews
Hurricane Preparedness Week
The 2021 National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 9th to May 15th, a week dedicated to sharing knowledge about hurricane hazards that can be used to prepare and take action!
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 may aid in more accurate hurricane forecasting and impact predictions.
Davina Passeri invited to co-present on engineering challenges in a coastal environment at University of Central Florida
Davina Passeri of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) co-presents a talk titled, “Engineering challenges in a coastal environment,” with structural engineer David Fusco of Thornton Tomasetti for University of Central Florida (UCF).
Publications
Assessing the effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience
Nourishment has shown to be an effective method for short-term storm protection along barrier islands and sandy beaches by reducing flooding, wave attack and erosion. However, the ability of nourishment to mitigate the effects of storms and sea level rise (SLR) and improve coastal resilience over decadal time scales is not well understood. This...
Passeri, Davina L.; Bilskie, Matthew V.; Hagen, Scott C.; Mickey, Rangley C.; Dalyander, P Soupy; Gonzalez, Victor Quantifying thresholds of barrier geomorphic change in a cross-shore sediment-partitioning model
Barrier coasts, including barrier islands, beach-ridge plains, and associated landforms, can assume a broad spectrum of morphologies over multi-decadal scales that reflect conditions of sediment availability, accommodation, and relative sea-level rise. However, the quantitative thresholds of these controls on barrier-system behavior remain largely...
Ciarletta, Daniel James; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Shawler, Justin L.; Hein, Christopher J. Gulf of Mexico blue hole harbors high levels of novel microbial lineages
Exploration of oxygen-depleted marine environments has consistently revealed novel microbial taxa and metabolic capabilities that expand our understanding of microbial evolution and ecology. Marine blue holes are shallow karst formations characterized by low oxygen and high organic matter content. They are logistically challenging to sample, and...
Patin, N.V.; Dietrich, Z.A.; Stancil, A.; Quinan, M.; Beckler, J.S.; Hall, E.R.; Culter, J; Smith, Christopher; Taillefert, Martial; Stewart, F.J.