St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

This piece of a core sample taken from offshore of the Fort Lauderdale region of Florida is from an elkhorn coral that lived 6,200 years ago. Coral type, orientation of corallites, and evidence of other fauna and characteristics within the core sample are used to determine how reliable the coral sample is to use for past sea-level reconstruction. Here, USGS Oceanographer

This core sample was taken from an elkhorn coral reef offshore of the Fort Lauderdale region of Florida. Samples from coral skeletons are taken from numerous locations in the core for radiocarbon dating, which tells scientists the age of each coral and of sections within the reef. The corals in this core lived from 7,100 to 6,200 years ago. Coral type, orientation of

A coral reef in the Turks and Caicos Islands dominated by the weedy coral species, Porites astreoides. The relative dominance of this taxa has increased throughout the western Atlantic.

A pilot flying a UAS on the beach.

Several instruments visible on board the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Photo taken from the ship bridge roof. USGS logo visible on one of the pieces of equipment. Research cruises taken on the JOIDES Resolution are often interdisciplinary and collaborative across many universities, scientific agencies, and other research institutions.

Glenn Simpson (left), Park Manager of the Dry Tortugas National Park, National Park Service and Ilsa Kuffner (right), USGS Research Marine Biologist, with an elkhorn coral from Pulaski Shoal being weighed and measured.

Predicted probabilities of dune erosion (inner band), overwash (middle band), and inundation (outer band) for Hurricane Dorian. Photographs are representative of coastal change observed during past storm events.

Screenshot of 'Longer Term Change' section from NPS story map about Fire Island

Scientists from the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science center collecting seismic and bathymetry data within the nearshore waters of Cedar Island, Virginia. Outside the cabin of the R/V Sallenger, a CHIRP seismic sled is being towed using dock lines and cable, inside captain Andy Farmer navigates the vessel using pre-planned survey lines while Chelsea Stalk

Two red sea urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) sit on the deck of the R/V Falkor. These sea urchins were collected during the #HuntingBubbles research cruise led by the USGS and Schmidt Ocean Institute, which focused on exploring and understanding methane seeps and the communities that depend on them along the Cascadia Margin. Read more about the cruise and its

The CMHRP has been conducting scientific investigations at Fire Island in order to protect natural and cultural resources.