The island of Puerto Rico is subject to numerous natural hazards including hurricanes and coastal erosion. Information on how the island’s coastal environments respond to these events is critical for bolstering coastal resilience. Dr.
USGS St. Petersburg Scientists Present to Students for the Annual Great American Teach-In
By St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
December 2, 2022
Four scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center visited 18 classrooms at local schools for the 2022 Great American Teach-In. They shared exciting coastal and marine hazards topics through presentations and hands-on activities to expose students to various science career options.
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
The Great American Teach In is held across the nation every year to expose students to various career paths. The USGS St. Pete has participated in many Great American Teach-In events throughout the years, and our scientists are always enthusiastic to share their passions for science with aspiring future researchers.
Kara Doran, a Physical Scientist at USGS St. Pete, went to Richard O. Jacobsen Technical High School to talk about Coastal Change Hazards with two classes of marine science students. She discussed the importance of this research for understanding how extreme events shape our coastline, the risks these processes pose to coastal communities, and the methods used to validate our predictions of how our coast changes. Learn more about how USGS studies how the beach changes.
Research Physical Scientist Donya Frank-Gilchrist visited three classes at Lakeview Fundamental Elementary School to discuss wave dynamics, extreme storms, and how these processes alter coastal ecosystems. Donya used an erosion simulation model to demonstrate these processes and the role of various coastal protection measures to dissipate wave energy and reduce the wave forces on coastal structures. These activities help students understand the hazards posed by coastal change. While visiting the school, Donya also met with St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth Welch and explained the scientific priorities being addressed by USGS in our local community.
Legna Torres-Garcia, USGS Research Oceanographer, visited 3rd - 5th grade classes at Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School. She spoke with the students about what oceanographers do, including using scientific instruments, conducting field work, and using SCUBA diving to answer important questions about how the ocean and waves influence our coastlines. Legna also shared real video footage from recent work in Puerto Rico to give students a “live glimpse” of what it means to work as an oceanographer.
Research Geologist Julie Richey talked with five 1st grade and five 2nd grade classrooms at James. B. Sanderlin IB World School. She led an activity using microfossils to learn about past climate. The students also decorated Styrofoam cups that will be sent to the bottom of the ocean in an upcoming research cruise out into the Gulf of Mexico. The cups are expected to shrink during their journey to the bottom of the sea and will teach students about the immense pressure of the deep ocean. Learn more about how USGS studies climate change in the Gulf of Mexico.
Related Content
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Coastal | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Costas
This page is a collection of USGS coastal hazard research in Puerto Rico, including shoreline changes, coral reef assessments, and coastal flooding. A brief description of highlighted projects can be found below. All coastal hazard publications, data releases, and news for Puerto Rico can be accessed on this page. Esta página es una recopilación de investigaciones del USGS sobre los riesgos...
Coastal Change Hazards
Natural processes such as waves, tides, and weather, continually change coastal landscapes. The integrity of coastal homes, businesses, and infrastructure can be threatened by hazards associated with event-driven changes, such as extreme storms and their impacts on beach and dune erosion, or longer-term, cumulative changes associated with coastal and marine processes, such as sea-level rise...
Climate and Environmental Change in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
This project documents paleoceanographic, climatic, and environmental changes in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent land areas over the last 10,000 years. The paleoenvironmental data is used to determine rates of change in the past, and to better understand both the natural and anthropogenic factors that contribute to climate variability on inter-annual to millennial timescales.
Puerto Rico Coastal Hazards
The island of Puerto Rico is subject to numerous natural hazards including hurricanes and coastal erosion. Information on how the island’s coastal environments respond to these events is critical for bolstering coastal resilience. Dr.
Studying How the Beach Changes at Madeira Beach, Florida
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
USGS Erosion Simulation Video
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
Related Content
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Coastal | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Costas
This page is a collection of USGS coastal hazard research in Puerto Rico, including shoreline changes, coral reef assessments, and coastal flooding. A brief description of highlighted projects can be found below. All coastal hazard publications, data releases, and news for Puerto Rico can be accessed on this page. Esta página es una recopilación de investigaciones del USGS sobre los riesgos...
Coastal Change Hazards
Natural processes such as waves, tides, and weather, continually change coastal landscapes. The integrity of coastal homes, businesses, and infrastructure can be threatened by hazards associated with event-driven changes, such as extreme storms and their impacts on beach and dune erosion, or longer-term, cumulative changes associated with coastal and marine processes, such as sea-level rise...
Climate and Environmental Change in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
This project documents paleoceanographic, climatic, and environmental changes in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent land areas over the last 10,000 years. The paleoenvironmental data is used to determine rates of change in the past, and to better understand both the natural and anthropogenic factors that contribute to climate variability on inter-annual to millennial timescales.
Puerto Rico Coastal Hazards
The island of Puerto Rico is subject to numerous natural hazards including hurricanes and coastal erosion. Information on how the island’s coastal environments respond to these events is critical for bolstering coastal resilience. Dr.
The island of Puerto Rico is subject to numerous natural hazards including hurricanes and coastal erosion. Information on how the island’s coastal environments respond to these events is critical for bolstering coastal resilience. Dr.
Studying How the Beach Changes at Madeira Beach, Florida
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
USGS Erosion Simulation Video
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
Get Our News
These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics, locations, and more. You can install and RSS reader browser extension, software, or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added. If you click the feed links below, they may look strange because they are simply XML code. An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site.