Coastal Change Likelihood Assessment--Predicting Coastal Landscape Change with Accuracy
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Newsletter: August-November 2025
Sharing science stories, popular social media posts, recent publications, fieldwork activities, and more center happenings.
Sharing science stories, popular social media posts, recent publications, fieldwork activities, and more center happenings.
Sound Waves Newsletter
Explore coastal and marine science from across the USGS in Sound Waves.
Explore coastal and marine science from across the USGS in Sound Waves.
Natural Disaster Preparedness Starts with Science
The USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program provides information needed to protect coastal communities
The USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program provides information needed to protect coastal communities
Helping Our Neighbors: USGS Surveys Primary Drinking Water Source for the Town of Falmouth
USGS Seafloor Mapping Provides the Scientific Foundation Needed to Address National Priorities
We Make Treasure Maps: USGS Charts the Seafloor to Help Locate Critical Minerals, Precious Metals, and Other Vital Resources
Valuable Data Collected on M7.0 Earthquake Offshore Cape Mendocino, California
Successful deployment and retrieval of Rapid Response Ocean Bottom Seismographs represents significant advancement in natural hazards research
Successful deployment and retrieval of Rapid Response Ocean Bottom Seismographs represents significant advancement in natural hazards research
Approaching Storms
Discover USGS tools that forecast storms and report coastal conditions for emergency management
Discover USGS tools that forecast storms and report coastal conditions for emergency management
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Our center is one of three facilities serving the mission of the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program.
We study extreme events and physical, biological, and chemical processes that shape our coastal and marine environments. Using this information, we identify hazards and provide critical information on our Nation’s resources. Our research and science-based products provide the strong scientific foundation needed by decisions makers, scientists, and state and federal agencies to address public safety, national security, and resource management across our Nation’s coastal and submerged lands.
Research
Research
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working and why it matters
Highlights
Highlights
- Sound Waves: Coastal and Marine Research News from Across the USGS
- Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Newsletter
- Annual Reports and General Information Product
- Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Field Activities
- Employment Opportunities
- Featured USGS Series Report
- Decadal Science Strategy
News
Sound Waves Newsletter: December 2025-January 2026
Sound Waves Newsletter: December 2025-January 2026
Photo Roundup: December 2025-January 2026
Photo Roundup: December 2025-January 2026
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Newsletter: December 2025-January 2026
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Newsletter: December 2025-January 2026
Publications
Spatial heterogeneity of salt marsh vulnerability to sea-level rise: Dual controls of hydrological setting and salinity regime Spatial heterogeneity of salt marsh vulnerability to sea-level rise: Dual controls of hydrological setting and salinity regime
Salt marsh vulnerability to sea-level rise (SLR) is typically assessed using point measurements of vertical accretion, neglecting three-dimensionality of geomorphic evolution and spatial variability. Recent studies suggest links between vertical and horizontal vulnerability, with differences between oligohaline and polyhaline marshes, yet these relationships remain untested in estuary...
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center—2024 annual report Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center—2024 annual report
The 2024 annual report of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center highlights accomplishments of 2024, includes a list of 2024 publications, and summarizes the work of the center, as well as the work of each of its science groups. This product allows readers to gain a general understanding of the focus areas of the center’s scientific research and learn...
Compounding of 100-year coastal floods by rainfall in an urban environment Compounding of 100-year coastal floods by rainfall in an urban environment
Coastal and pluvial flooding are both becoming more prevalent and severe due to climate change and urbanization in floodplains. The co-occurrence of these flood drivers is generally assumed to exacerbate the resulting flood impacts, a result referred to as compound flooding. However, few observational or modeling studies have investigated the circumstances under which this occurs. Here...
Science
Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS)
Software for calculating positional boundary change over time The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 6 is a standalone application that calculates shoreline or boundary change over time. The GIS of a user’s choice is used to prepare the data for DSAS. Like previous versions, DSAS v.6 enables a user to calculate rate-of-change statistics from multiple historical shoreline positions...
Prioritizing marsh restoration needs throughout Chesapeake Bay
A new USGS study estimates potential losses of Chesapeake Bay salt marshes that could occur in the next 80 years if no marsh restoration is undertaken. Using a suite of models, USGS researchers identified how future potential marsh changes can be used to prioritize present-day site-specific planning and restoration needs.
GeoPackage of Seabed Hazards to Offshore Infrastructure
Energy and resource development is increasing along the Nation’s outer continental shelves, where coastal waters meet the deep sea. Offshore infrastructure, such as oil and gas platforms and mining devices, help extract and transport resources from beneath the seafloor to where they’re needed on land. These resources are essential for powering homes and businesses across the country and supporting...