Images

Breaching of Fire Island, NY occurred during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 (Wilderness Breach). Wilderness Breach in 2018 as seen from a low angle, note the other side of breached island is in the distance.

Nearshore geophysical mapping with sub-bottom sled (foreground), personal watercraft equipped with echosounders (background, water) and beach-based personnel (background, beach).

The Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project conducts research and monitoring of sediment movement and coastal change at several barrier islands around the U.S.

USGS vessels and staff acquiring geophysical data in the nearshore. Collecting shoreface data in the water as close to the beach as possible is difficult with breaking waves. The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center adapted existing equipment for data collection in shallow water.

USGS vessels and staff acquiring geophysical data in the nearshore. Collecting shoreface data in the water as close to the beach as possible is difficult with breaking waves. The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center adapted existing equipment for data collection in shallow water.

Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.

A team of USGS scientists work off the R/V Sallenger in Rockaway Beach, New York. One team member stands on a floating sled that enables sub‐bottom surveying in shallow water, nearshore, and shore‐face environments. The sled is equipped with an EdgeTech SB‐512i CHIRP system and single‐beam sonar.

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 remnants of an eroding marsh sit on a bayside beach behind Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Marsh loss and bayside erosion can be outcomes of both natural landscape evolution and human modification of coastal barrier systems.

People watching a sunset at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, San Diego, California. These natural cliffs overlook the Pacific Ocean and are a popular location to watch the sunset.

The left panel shows the threatened elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) alive and performing the critical ecosystem service of building the reef crest that protects shorelines during storms. The right panel shows a dead and quickly eroding skeleton of Elkhorn Coral.

Fire Island is a 50-km long barrier island along the south shore of Long Island, NY. The island is comprised of seventeen year-round communities; federal, state, and county parks; and supports distinct ecosystems alongside areas of economic and cultural value.

Fire Island is a 50-km long barrier island along the south shore of Long Island, NY. The island is comprised of seventeen year-round communities; federal, state, and county parks; and supports distinct ecosystems alongside areas of economic and cultural value.

Fire Island is a 50-km long barrier island along the south shore of Long Island, NY. The island is comprised of seventeen year-round communities; federal, state, and county parks; and supports distinct ecosystems alongside areas of economic and cultural value.

USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of agglutinated planispiral marsh foraminifera Haplophragmoides wilberti collected from Grand Bay.

The 3DR Solo with GoPro Hero4 camera and gimbal. Coming to a survey area near you soon. Photo credit: Shawn Harrison, USGS. This photo was taken during USGS unmanned aerial systems (drone) pilot training. Two training sessions were held - one in February-March 2017 in Santa Cruz, California and the second in April 2017 in Gainesville, Florida.

We use a Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) to determine the Sr/Ca in coral aragonite samples in the laboratory at the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.

The CMHRP is testing the calcification rates of different genetic strains of threatened Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) to advise local and Federal agencies engaged in coral reef restoration.

“Variance” images derived from the same videos used in the studies. Left, Madeira Beach; right, Cowells Beach. In a variance image, the more variation in light intensity at a given pixel, the brighter the value assigned to that pixel. Bright areas indicate many changes in light intensity, caused by a lot of movement.

Shawn Harrison uses his new skills to check out the surf at Santa Cruz, California.