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A team with members from the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Caribbean Florida Water Science Center installed new coastal monitoring cameras (CoastCams) and oceanographic buoys in Dorado and Carolina, Puerto Rico. The camera systems (similar to these in Pinellas County, Florida) collect data on water levels, waves, surface currents, and shoreline position. The team also deployed buoys to measure offshore wave conditions, water levels, and wind speed and direction. These data will be used to test and improve numerical models for the Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast along coral reef-lined coasts.

The island of Puerto Rico is especially vulnerable to natural and coastal hazards such as tropical storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, landslides, and coastal erosion. These forecasts help inform coastal communities about potential coastal hazards that can threaten lives and property and allow communities to better prepare for, and adapt to, these hazards.

While in Dorado, the team also met with the local Professional Fishermen’s Association. Dr. Legna Torres-Garcia presented USGS research and tools available to citizens on the island and developed relationships with additional stakeholders affected by natural hazards in Puerto Rico. Throughout the fieldwork, the team shared information to explain fieldwork objectives and methods to people interested in the team’s activities.

Learn more about coastal hazards research in Puerto Rico.