Seafloor elevation change in Maui, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and the Florida Keys
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted research to quantify the combined effect of all constructive and destructive processes on modern coral reef ecosystems by measuring regional-scale changes in seafloor elevation. USGS staff assessed five coral reef ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean (Upper and Lower Florida Keys), Caribbean Sea (U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Thomas and Buck Island, St. Croix), and Pacific Ocean (Maui, Hawaii), including both coral-dominated and adjacent, non-coral dominated habitats. Scientists used historical bathymetric data from the 1930s to 1980s and contemporary light detection and ranging (lidar) digital elevation models (DEMs) from the late 1990s to 2000s to calculate changes in seafloor elevation for each study site over time periods reflecting low to high anthropogenic impacts. This data release contains the location, elevation, and elevation change data used in this study. Using these changes in elevation, further analysis was done to calculate corresponding changes in seafloor volume for all study areas and habitat types within each site.
For further information regarding data analysis methods refer to:
Yates, K. K., Zawada, D. G., Smiley, N. A., and Tiling-Range, G., 2017, Divergence of seafloor elevation and sea level rise in coral reef ecosystems: Biogeosciences, v. 14, no. 6, p. 1739-1772, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1739-2017.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2017 |
---|---|
Title | Seafloor elevation change in Maui, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and the Florida Keys |
DOI | 10.5066/F7WQ01W0 |
Authors | Kimberly K Yates, David G Zawada, Nathan A Smiley, Ginger Tiling-Range, Jessica P Resnick |
Product Type | Data Release |
Record Source | USGS Digital Object Identifier Catalog |
USGS Organization | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center |
Related Content
Upper Florida Keys 1930s-2002 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables
Looe Key, Florida, 1938-2004 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables
Kimberly Yates, Ph.D.
Senior Research Oceanographer
David Zawada, Ph.D.
Research Oceanographer
Related Content
- Data
Upper Florida Keys 1930s-2002 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the 1930s and 2002 in the Upper Florida Keys (UFK) from Triumph Reef to Pickles Reef within a 234.2 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from YatesLooe Key, Florida, 1938-2004 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 1938 and 2004 at Looe Key coral reef near Big Pine Key, Florida, within a 19.06 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and oth - Connect
Kimberly Yates, Ph.D.
Senior Research OceanographerEmailPhoneDavid Zawada, Ph.D.
Research OceanographerEmailPhone