Images

Prior to landfall on the Gulf coast of the Florida peninsula on August 30, 2023, the Coastal Change Hazards Team forecast that 95 percent of beaches were forecast to erode at the dunes’ base, 20 percent of dunes were forecast to be overwashed by storm waves, and 1 percent of dunes were expected to be inundated (completely submerged) by surge, tide, and waves. T

Shown here is a colony of the threatened Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, that has succumbed to "bleaching," that is, lost all its algal symbionts (also called zooxanthellae) because of the summer 2023 ocean-heat wave. The coral is attached to a cement block as part of the U.S.

Shown here is a small colony of the threatened Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, that has become "bleached," that is, lost all its algal symbionts (also called zooxanthellae) because of the summer 2023 ocean-heat wave. The coral is attached to a cement block as part of the U.S.

Shown here are three SCUBA divers installing shade structures over experimental Elkhorn corals (Acropora palmata) that have become "bleached," that is, lost all their algal symbionts (also called zooxanthellae) because of the summer 2023 ocean-heat wave. The corals are attached to cement blocks as part of the U.S.

Shown here is a colony of the threatened Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, that has become "bleached," that is, lost all its algal symbionts (also called zooxanthellae) because of the summer 2023 ocean-heat wave. The coral is attached to a cement block as part of the U.S.

Shown here is a colony of the threatened Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, that has become "bleached," that is, lost all its algal symbionts (also called zooxanthellae) because of the summer 2023 ocean-heat wave. The coral is attached to a cement block as part of the U.S.

Shown here is a colony of the threatened Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, in Dry Tortugas National Park that has become "bleached," that is, lost all its algal symbionts (also called zooxanthellae) because of the summer 2023 ocean-heat wave.

Coastal communities on the Great Lakes may experience coastal change, including dune erosion. The USGS and NOAA are developing the Total Water and Coastal Change Forecast at sites like this one in Ontanogan, Michigan to provide communities with real-time information for decision making.

Photograph of Caitlin Reynolds and the sediment traps from the Gulf of America aboard the R/V Weatherbird. Scientists collect and redeploy the mooring every 6-9 months. 

Dr. Legna Torres-García participated in camper interviews for the 2023 Oceanography Camp for Girls, during which she explained the types of oceanographic equipment that is used to collect data to help create and improve coastal change hazard predictions. 

Kara Doran shares USGS coastal change hazards forecasts and observations with campers from University of South Florida's 2023 Oceanography Camp for Girls.

The Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CARICOOS) hosted a General Assembly May 26, 2023, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and featured a presentation about USGS coastal hazards research, shoreline change geonarrative, natural hazards web pages, and other research related to the island.

An illustration of a typical beach system. Total water level is modeled as the sum of tide, storm surge, and wave runup. Figure 1 from USGS open-source article: Stockdon, H.F., Long, J.W., Palmsten, M.L.

The R/V Weatherbird II docked at the Florida Institute of Oceanography at University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, Florida. USGS scientists and partners at Eckerd College and USF load the vessel in preparation for a research cruise as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Scientist-at-Sea program.

The publication, “Coastal and Marine Science of the U.S. Geological Survey in St.

The publication, “Coastal and Marine Science of the U.S. Geological Survey in St.

Dr. Donya Frank-Gilchrist of the USGS St.

Dr. Donya Frank-Gilchrist of the USGS St.

Dr. Donya Frank-Gilchrist of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, and Dr. Allison Penko of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ocean Sciences Division presented research on sand transport under oscillatory flows at the Marine and River Dune Dynamics (MARID) Conference in Rennes, France.

Various species of bivalve shells with potential to serve as environmental proxy archives. The shells will be studied to understand their lifespan and geochemical properties.

Ben Galbraith explains how personal watercraft help coastal geologists collect seafloor elevation data (i.e., bathymetry) in shallow, nearshore areas at the 2023 St. Petersburg Science Festival. For more than 10 years, the St.