Images

A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A colony of elliptical star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

Close-up of the interface between bleached polyps of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. The dead coral skeleton behind the black band has become overgrown with green algae.

Close-up of the interface between polyps of the mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. Behind the black band is white coral skeleton remaining after the polyps have died.

A colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A colony of lobed star coral, Montastraea annularis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A colony of grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

Scientists at the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center study coral reef ecosystems. This coral, Orbicella annularis, was photographed in the Florida Keys during field work on coral disease. 

A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.

A close-up of an eroded ocean dune scarp. The dune scarp is about 5 foot tall, with visible layers that were created as the dune was naturally building from wind.

Photo of researchers starting to take subcores from the giant box core

A sand overwash fan on the back side of a dune near Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island, NY, 2010.  The sand has already been cleared from the road. If you look at the background, you can see new sand has been added to the beach on the seaward side of the dune, creating a new, higher, dune crest.

A sand overwash fan on the back side of a dune near Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island, NY, 2010, with the overwash area labeled. The sand has already been cleared from the road. If you look at the background, you can see new sand has been added to the beach on the seaward side of the dune, creating a new, higher, dune crest.

Photograph of 6" and 4" subcores sampled from a giant box core.

Photo of researchers looking at mud in the giant box core before beginning to take subcores

Photo of researchers opening hoist, showing giant box core, on deck of the research vessel

Photo of researchers looking at mud in the giant box core before beginning to take subcores

A human-made seawall of riprap rock exposed by dune erosion. Small seawalls are created using large rocks (riprap) at the dune toe to fortify the dune, reduce dune erosion from elevated water levels and storms, and help to protect property. Over time, these seawalls may become covered by natural dune growth, but high-water events could re-expose them.