Sediment Data From Cores Collected in 2025 at Midnight Pass, Florida

In June 2025, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted sediment core sampling at Midnight Pass, an inlet between Siesta Key and Casey Key, Florida. This inlet was closed by mechanical action in 1983 and reopened by the passage of hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, reconnecting Little Sarasota Bay to the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico). A total of seven cores were collected, with approximate recovery lengths between 0.54 meters (m) and 1.05 m. The cores were collected using a mechanical post driver and 3-inch (7.62 centimeter) diameter aluminum barrels. The sedimentologic data published in this release can be utilized to study the geomorphic evolution of Midnight Pass. These data were collected as part of USGS field activity number (FAN) 2024-330-FA. Data acquisition and processing methods used are similar to those described in Bernier and others (2024).

Bernier, J.C., Everhart, C.S., DeWitt, N.T., Ciarletta, D.C., and Miselis, J.L., 2024, Sediment data from vibracores collected in 2021 from central Florida Gulf Coast barrier islands: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P14L5SVG.