St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologists Julie Bernier and Nancy DeWitt of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center operating a vibracore system on Mullet Key, a barrier island along the Gulf coast of Central Florida. The scientists are taking sediment samples to learn more about the long-

Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologist Julie Bernier perform field reconnaissance at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. The scientists are refining a plan to sample and survey the island using sediment vibracores and ground-penetrating radar.

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting research to guide the recovery of the threatened Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, in Dry Tortugas National Park and throughout the western Atlantic. A small Elkhorn colony, raised from a fragment collected after a storm, is shown here in the foreground after it was cemented to the reef to establish a new coral population.

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting research to guide the restoration and recovery of the threatened elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, in Dry Tortugas National Park and throughout the western Atlantic. In this photograph, research marine biologist Ilsa Kuffner is doing maintenance on a USGS “calcification station”. The USGS has established these stations,

A) Conditions during a 2015 munitions mobility experiment in Duck, NC, and B) cartographic visualization of hindcast probability of munitions’ complete burial during the experiment.

The U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center is conducting research to guide the restoration and recovery of the threatened elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, in Dry Tortugas National Park and throughout the western Atlantic. Shown here is an elkhorn colony, raised from a fragment

Ohio State University graduate student Ann Marie Hulver and postdoc Dr. Leila Chapron from Dr. Andrea Grottoli's lab process samples collected for a study on elkhorn coral growth in the Florida Keys. These researchers are collaborating with Dr. Ilsa Kuffner of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center to

Tropical Storm Eta affected beaches along Florida's Gulf Coast in November 2020. Some dunes were eroded up to several feet due to the high water levels associated with the storm. Madeira Beach is home to many people and animals, and erosion events such as this can affect both habitat and infrastructure. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards

Tropical Storm Eta had effects on Florida's Gulf Coast beaches, including dune erosion and overwash. This image from the coast cam at Madeira Beach, Florida captured high water levels and resulting overwash of sand onto the patio of the Shoreline Resort. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to predict these types of events to

Dr. Ilsa Kuffner of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and her collaborator Dr. Andrea Grottoli in the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State University prepare for field work to study endangered elkhorn corals in the Florida Keys along with their team of researchers. They are researching where and why

Established in 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coral Assessment Network (USGS-CAN) provides data on coral-growth (calcification) rates throughout the Florida Keys. Pictured here is one of 30 stations located in in Dry Tortugas National Park. The data document seasonal and spatial patterns in coral growth that correlate with ocean conditions and are used to guide the