Our Capacities
Our Capacities
The USGS conducts multidisciplinary research to address the conservation, restoration and management needs in the Gulf as identified by external partners and USGS supporting programs. We engage in science partnership opportunities to leverage data acquisition, analysis, modeling, monitoring and adaptive management, and data management and visualization capabilities, that provide information for use locally, regionally and nationally.
RESTORE Council Monitoring and Assessment Program
RESTORE Council Monitoring and Assessment Program
The RESTORE Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP), administered by NOAA and USGS, is building foundational components for a Gulf–wide monitoring network.
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment
This project was a collaborative effort between the USGS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the State of Alabama to investigate viable, sustainable restoration options that protect and restore the natural resources of Dauphin Island, Alabama.
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SPARROW modeling: Estimating nutrient, sediment, and dissolved solids transport
SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) models estimate the amount of a contaminant transported from inland watersheds to larger water bodies by linking monitoring data with information on watershed characteristics and contaminant sources. Interactive, online SPARROW mapping tools allow for easy access to explore relations between human activities, natural processes, and...
Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM)
The goal of the State of Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program is to provide long-term data on the barrier islands of Louisiana that could be used to plan, design, evaluate, and maintain current and future barrier-island restoration projects.
Integrating Mapping and Modeling to Support the Restoration of Bird Nesting Habitat at Breton Island National Wildlife Refuge
Breton Island, located at the southern end of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, is part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) established in 1904 by Theodore Roosevelt. Breton NWR is recognized as a globally important bird habitat because of the resources it provides, and hosts one of Louisiana's largest historical brown pelican nesting colonies. Without actions to restore sand to the...
Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs
USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center scientists are collecting physical and chemical water properties at selected Texas artificial reefs to provide the initial foundation to establish the status and long-term trends in the environment and information essential for sound management decisions and long-term planning.
Nutrient and Sediment Variability in the Lower San Jacinto River
The San Jacinto River is the second largest inflow into Galveston Bay. The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center collects water-quality samples in the lower reaches of the San Jacinto River over a range of hydrologic conditions to improve our understanding of the variability of nutrient and sediment concentrations in freshwater inflows from the San Jacinto River into Galveston Bay.
Nutrient and Sediment Monitoring in Inflows to Texas Bays and Estuaries
The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center is evaluating the variability of nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads entering Texas bays and estuaries across a range of hydrologic conditions in Galveston Bay (inflow from the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers), Matagordo Bay (inflow from the Colorado River), San Antonio Bay (inflow from the Guadalupe River), and Nueces Bay (inflow from Nueces...
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
USGS is undertaking a 5-year study to assess groundwater availability for the aquifers proximal to the Gulf of America from the Texas-Mexico border through the panhandle of Florida, known as the Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System (CLAS). This study is one of several within the Regional Groundwater Availability Studies of the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program.
National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards
Research to identify areas that are most vulnerable to coastal change hazards including beach and dune erosion, long-term shoreline change, and sea-level rise.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of America, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Sandy
Streamflow Alteration Assessments to Support Bay and Estuary Restoration in Gulf States
Human alteration of waterways has impacted the minimum and maximum streamflows in more than 86% of monitored streams nationally and may be the primary cause for ecological impairment in river and stream ecosystems. Restoration of freshwater inflows can positively affect shellfish, fisheries, habitat, and water quality in streams, rivers, and estuaries. Increasingly, state and local decision-makers...
Gulf Land Loss Change Assessment: A Cooperative Study with the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management
Eighty-five percent of the coastal wetland loss in the contiguous United States occurs in the Gulf. Documenting and understanding the occurrence of this wetland loss will provide for effective planning, mitigation, and restoration activities.
RESTORE Science: Inventory of Gulf Ecosystem Indicators Using an Ecological Resilience Framework
To effectively manage an ecosystem, resource managers need a way to evaluate its health and ability to function. Metrics that indicate ecosystem condition - or indicators - can be used to help determine how well management strategies work.
Integrated Modeling of Coastal Processes and Linkages to Management Applications
Coastal wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services such as wave attenuation, surge reduction, carbon sequestration, wastewater treatment, and critical habitats for endangered fish and wildlife species. However, wetland loss threatens the capacity of coastal wetlands to provide these ecosystem services.