Publications
Explore scientific publications from the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.
Filter Total Items: 916
Geomorphology and depositional subenvironments of Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is studying coastal hazards and coastal change to improve our understanding of coastal ecosystems and to develop better capabilities of predicting future coastal change. One approach to understanding the dynamics of coastal systems is to monitor changes in barrier-island subenvironments through time. This involves examining morphological and topographic change at
Authors
Robert A. Morton, Bryan E. Rogers
Theme section on “Mesophotic coral ecosystems: Characterization, ecology, and management”
Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are characterized by the presence of light-dependent corals and associated communities that are typically found at depths ranging from 30 to 40 m and extending to over 150 m in tropical and subtropical regions. The dominant communities providing structural habitat in the mesophotic zone can be comprised of coral, sponge, and algal species. Because working in this
Authors
Lara M. Hinderstein, John C.A. Marr, Felix A. Martinez, Michael J. Dowgiallo, Richard L. Puglise, R. L. Pyle, David G Zawada, R. Appeldoorn
EAARL Coastal Topography and Imagery-Naval Live Oaks Area, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, 2007
These remotely sensed, geographically referenced color-infrared (CIR) imagery and elevation measurements of lidar-derived bare-earth (BE) topography, first-surface (FS) topography, and canopy-height (CH) datasets were produced collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL; the National Park Service (NPS), Gulf Coast Network, Lafayette, LA;
Authors
David B. Nagle, Amar Nayegandhi, Xan Yates, John Brock, C. Wayne Wright, Jamie M. Bonisteel, Emily S. Klipp, Martha Segura
Geomorphology of mesophotic coral ecosystems: Current perspectives on morphology, distribution, and mapping strategies
This paper presents a general review of the distribution of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) in relationship to geomorphology in US waters. It was specifically concerned with the depth range of 30–100 m, where more than 186,000 km2 of potential seafloor area was identified within the US Gulf of Mexico/Florida, Caribbean, and main Hawaiian Islands. The geomorphology of MCEs was largely inherited
Authors
S. D. Locker, R. A. Armstrong, Timothy A. Battista, John J. Rooney, C. Sherman, David G. Zawada
EAARL coastal topography-western Florida, post-Hurricane Charley, 2004: seamless (bare earth and submerged.
Project Description
These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of lidar-derived seamless (bare-earth and submerged) topography were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP), St. Petersburg, FL, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA.
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Authors
Amar Nayegandhi, Jamie M. Bonisteel, C. Wayne Wright, A. H. Sallenger, John Brock, Xan Yates
Investigation of submarine groundwater discharge along the tidal reach of the Caloosahatchee River, southwest Florida
The tidal reach of the Caloosahatchee River is an estuarine habitat that supports a diverse assemblage of biota including aquatic vegetation, shellfish, and finfish. The system has been highly modified by anthropogenic activity over the last 150 years (South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), 2009). For example, the river was channelized and connected to Lake Okeechobee in 1881 (via canal
Authors
Christopher D. Reich
Sediment distribution on the Mississippi-Alabama shelf, northern Gulf of Mexico
The Mississippi-Alabama shelf is bounded to the west by landforms associated with the Mississippi River Delta, to the north by the barrier-island systems of the Mississippi Alabama shoreline, and to the east by the Desoto Canyon. This portion of the northern Gulf of Mexico has been described as a slowly subsiding, passive continental margin (Sydow and Roberts, 1994). Presently, sediment processes
Authors
James G. Flocks, Jordan Sanford, Jackie L. Smith
Numerical simulation of a low-lying barrier island's morphological response to Hurricane Katrina
Tropical cyclones that enter or form in the Gulf of Mexico generate storm surge and large waves that impact low-lying coastlines along the Gulf Coast. The Chandeleur Islands, located 161. km east of New Orleans, Louisiana, have endured numerous hurricanes that have passed nearby. Hurricane Katrina (landfall near Waveland MS, 29 Aug 2005) caused dramatic changes to the island elevation and shape. I
Authors
C.A. Lindemer, N.G. Plant, Jack A. Puleo, D.M. Thompson, T.V. Wamsley
Do three massive coral species from the same reef record the same SST signal? A test from the Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys
Paleoclimatologists have reconstructed century-long records of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Pacific using the Sr/Ca of massive corals, whereas similar reconstructions in the Atlantic have not proceeded at the same pace. Past research in the Florida Keys has focused on Montastrea spp., an abundant and fast-growing massive coral, thus a good candidate for climate reconstructions. However, co
Authors
K. L. DeLong, R. Z. Poore, C. D. Reich, J. A. Flannery, Christopher R. Maupin, T. M. Quinn
Effects of ocean acidification and sea-level rise on coral reefs
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are developing comprehensive records of historical and modern coral reef growth and calcification rates relative to changing seawater chemistry resulting from increasing atmospheric CO2 from the pre-industrial period to the present. These records will provide the scientific foundation for predicting future impacts of ocean acidification and sea-level rise o
Authors
K. K. Yates, R.P. Moyer
Words matter: Recommendations for clarifying coral disease nomenclature and terminology
Coral diseases have caused significant losses on Caribbean reefs and are becoming a greater concern in the Pacific. Progress in coral disease research requires collaboration and communication among experts from many different disciplines. The lack of consistency in the use of terms and names in the recent scientific literature reflects the absence of an authority for naming coral diseases, a lack
Authors
Caroline S. Rogers
Two-dimensional time dependent hurricane overwash and erosion modeling at Santa Rosa Island
A 2DH numerical, model which is capable of computing nearshore circulation and morphodynamics, including dune erosion, breaching and overwash, is used to simulate overwash caused by Hurricane Ivan (2004) on a barrier island. The model is forced using parametric wave and surge time series based on field data and large-scale numerical model results. The model predicted beach face and dune erosion re
Authors
R.T. McCall, J. S. M. Van Theil de Vries, N.G. Plant, A. R. Van Dongeren, J.A. Roelvink, D.M. Thompson, A.J.H.M. Reniers