Christopher Reich is the Deputy Center Director for the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.
In my Deputy CD role I support Center operations and provide administrative and managerial leadership to the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC).
Prior to this role I served as the Marine Operations Manager and was responsible for the planning, execution, and management of the SPCMSC marine technical program.
In my science support role from 1991 to 2013, I was involved in various multi-disciplinary research activities including research investigating the geologic history (Pleistocene to recent) of the Florida Keys, Florida Bay and Everglades conducted through core collection, interpretation, and publication. I was also involved in implementing and executing geological (sediment and rock coring), geophysical (seismic and electrical resistivity), and geochemical (inorganic nutrients and radon and radium isotopes) studies for identifying location and quantity of submarine groundwater discharge along coastal and marine systems.
Professional Experience
U.S. Geological Survey, Deputy Center Director, St. Petersburg Florida, 2017-present
U.S. Geological Survey, Marine Operations and Facilities Manager, St. Petersburg, FL, 2014-2017
U.S. Geological Survey, Geologist, St. Petersburg, FL, 1991-2013
Education and Certifications
M.S. - Geology (1995), Univ. of South Florida, Geology Department
B.S. - Marine Science (1991), Eckerd College
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 31
Collection methods and descriptions of coral cores extracted from massive corals in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A.
Cores from living coral colonies were collected from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A., to obtain skeletal records of past coral growth and allow geochemical reconstruction of environmental variables during the corals’ centuries-long lifespans. The samples were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (http:/coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest) that pro
Authors
Michael S. Weinzierl, Christopher D. Reich, T. Donald Hickey, Lucy A. Bartlett, Ilsa B. Kuffner
Archive of single-beam bathymetry data collected from select areas in Weeks Bay and Weeks Bayou, southwest Louisiana, January 2013
A team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, collected 92 line-kilometers of dual-frequency single-beam bathymetry data in the tidal creeks, bayous, and coastal areas near Weeks Bay, southwest Louisiana. Limited bathymetry data exist for these tidally and meteorologically influenced shallow-water estuarine environments. In order to reduce
Authors
Nancy T. DeWitt, Christopher D. Reich, Christopher G. Smith, Billy J. Reynolds
Aragonite saturation states and nutrient fluxes in coral reef sediments in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA
Some coral reefs, such as patch reefs along the Florida Keys reef tract, are not showing significant reductions in calcification rates in response to ocean acidification. It has been hypothesized that this recalcitrance is due to local buffering effects from biogeochemical processes driven by seagrasses. We investigated the influence that pore water nutrients, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and
Authors
John T. Lisle, Christopher D. Reich, Robert B. Halley
The role of vermetid gastropods in the development of the Florida Middle Ground, northeast Gulf of Mexico
The Florida Middle Ground is a complex of north to northwest trending ridges that lie approximately 180 km northwest of Tampa Bay, Florida. The irregular ridges appear on the otherwise gently sloping West Florida shelf and exhibit between 10-15 m of relief. Modern studies interpret the ridges as remnants of a Holocene coral-reef buildup that today provide a hard substrate for growth of a variety o
Authors
Christopher D. Reich, Richard Z. Poore, Todd D. Hickey
Linear extension rates of massive corals from the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), Florida
Colonies of three coral species, Montastraea faveolata, Diploria strigosa, and Siderastrea siderea, located in the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), Florida, were sampled and analyzed to evaluate annual linear extension rates. Montastraea faveolata had the highest average linear extension and variability in (DRTO: C2 = 0.67 centimeters/year (cm yr-1) ± 0.04, B3 = 0.85 cm yr-1 ± 0.07), followed by
Authors
Adis Muslic, Jennifer A. Flannery, Christopher D. Reich, Daniel K. Umberger, Joseph M. Smoak, Richard Z. Poore
Complexity of nearshore strontium-to-calcium ratio variability in a core sample of the massive coral Siderastrea siderea obtained in Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Strontium-to-calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) were measured on the skeletal matrix of a core sample from a colony of the massive coral Siderastrea siderea collected in Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Strontium and calcium are incorporated into the coral skeleton during the precipitation of aragonite by the coral polyps and their ratio is highly temperature dependent. The robustness of this tempera
Authors
Christopher D. Reich, Ilsa B. Kuffner, T. Don Hickey, Jennifer M. Morrison, Jennifer A. Flannery
Holocene core logs and site methods for modern reef and head-coral cores - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
The Dry Tortugas are a series of islands, banks, and channels on a carbonate platform off the west end of the Florida Keys. Antecedent topography of the Dry Tortugas reflects carbonate accumulations of the last interglacial (marine isotope substage 5e, ~ 125,000 years ago, ka) when sea level was ~ 6 to 7 meters (m) higher than present (Schrag and others, 2002). The substage 5e surface was subseque
Authors
Todd D. Hickey, Christopher D. Reich, Kristine L. DeLong, Richard Z. Poore, John Brock
Benthic habitat classification in Lignumvitae Key Basin, Florida Bay, using the U.S. Geological Survey Along-Track Reef Imaging System (ATRIS)
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) funded in partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Florida Water Management District, and other Federal, local and Tribal members has in its mandate a guideline to protect and restore freshwater flows to coastal environments to pre-1940s conditions (CERP, 1999). Historic salinity data are sparse for Florida Bay, so it is diffi
Authors
C. D. Reich, D.G. Zawada, P.R. Thompson, C.E. Reynolds, A.H. Spear, D.K. Umberger, R. Z. Poore
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
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
Holocene core logs and site statistics for modern patch-reef cores: Biscayne National Park, Florida
The bedrock in Biscayne National Park (BNP), a 1,730-square kilometer (km2) region off southeast Florida, consists of Pleistocene (1.8 million years ago (Ma) to 10,000 years ago (ka)) and Holocene (10 ka to present) carbonate rocks (Enos and Perkins, 1977; Halley and others, 1997; Multer and others, 2002). Most of the surficial limestone in BNP, including the islands of the Florida Keys, was forme
Authors
Christopher D. Reich, T. Don Hickey, Kristine L. DeLong, Richard Z. Poore, John Brock
Investigation of coastal hydrogeology utilizing geophysical and geochemical tools along the Broward County coast, Florida
Geophysical (CHIRP, boomer, and continuous direct-current resistivity) and geochemical tracer studies (continuous and time-series 222Radon) were conducted along the Broward County coast from Port Everglades to Hillsboro Inlet, Florida. Simultaneous seismic, direct-current resistivity, and radon surveys in the coastal waters provided information to characterize the geologic framework and identify p
Authors
Christopher D. Reich, Peter W. Swarzenski, W. Jason Greenwood, Dana S. Wiese
Coral cores collected in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A.: Photographs and X-rays
Cores from living coral colonies were collected from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, to obtain skeletal records of past coral growth and allow geochemical reconstruction of environmental variables during the corals' centuries-long lifespans. The samples were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project that provides science to assist resource ma
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 31
Collection methods and descriptions of coral cores extracted from massive corals in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A.
Cores from living coral colonies were collected from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A., to obtain skeletal records of past coral growth and allow geochemical reconstruction of environmental variables during the corals’ centuries-long lifespans. The samples were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (http:/coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest) that proAuthorsMichael S. Weinzierl, Christopher D. Reich, T. Donald Hickey, Lucy A. Bartlett, Ilsa B. KuffnerArchive of single-beam bathymetry data collected from select areas in Weeks Bay and Weeks Bayou, southwest Louisiana, January 2013
A team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, collected 92 line-kilometers of dual-frequency single-beam bathymetry data in the tidal creeks, bayous, and coastal areas near Weeks Bay, southwest Louisiana. Limited bathymetry data exist for these tidally and meteorologically influenced shallow-water estuarine environments. In order to reduceAuthorsNancy T. DeWitt, Christopher D. Reich, Christopher G. Smith, Billy J. ReynoldsAragonite saturation states and nutrient fluxes in coral reef sediments in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA
Some coral reefs, such as patch reefs along the Florida Keys reef tract, are not showing significant reductions in calcification rates in response to ocean acidification. It has been hypothesized that this recalcitrance is due to local buffering effects from biogeochemical processes driven by seagrasses. We investigated the influence that pore water nutrients, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) andAuthorsJohn T. Lisle, Christopher D. Reich, Robert B. HalleyThe role of vermetid gastropods in the development of the Florida Middle Ground, northeast Gulf of Mexico
The Florida Middle Ground is a complex of north to northwest trending ridges that lie approximately 180 km northwest of Tampa Bay, Florida. The irregular ridges appear on the otherwise gently sloping West Florida shelf and exhibit between 10-15 m of relief. Modern studies interpret the ridges as remnants of a Holocene coral-reef buildup that today provide a hard substrate for growth of a variety oAuthorsChristopher D. Reich, Richard Z. Poore, Todd D. HickeyLinear extension rates of massive corals from the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), Florida
Colonies of three coral species, Montastraea faveolata, Diploria strigosa, and Siderastrea siderea, located in the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), Florida, were sampled and analyzed to evaluate annual linear extension rates. Montastraea faveolata had the highest average linear extension and variability in (DRTO: C2 = 0.67 centimeters/year (cm yr-1) ± 0.04, B3 = 0.85 cm yr-1 ± 0.07), followed byAuthorsAdis Muslic, Jennifer A. Flannery, Christopher D. Reich, Daniel K. Umberger, Joseph M. Smoak, Richard Z. PooreComplexity of nearshore strontium-to-calcium ratio variability in a core sample of the massive coral Siderastrea siderea obtained in Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Strontium-to-calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) were measured on the skeletal matrix of a core sample from a colony of the massive coral Siderastrea siderea collected in Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Strontium and calcium are incorporated into the coral skeleton during the precipitation of aragonite by the coral polyps and their ratio is highly temperature dependent. The robustness of this temperaAuthorsChristopher D. Reich, Ilsa B. Kuffner, T. Don Hickey, Jennifer M. Morrison, Jennifer A. FlanneryHolocene core logs and site methods for modern reef and head-coral cores - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
The Dry Tortugas are a series of islands, banks, and channels on a carbonate platform off the west end of the Florida Keys. Antecedent topography of the Dry Tortugas reflects carbonate accumulations of the last interglacial (marine isotope substage 5e, ~ 125,000 years ago, ka) when sea level was ~ 6 to 7 meters (m) higher than present (Schrag and others, 2002). The substage 5e surface was subsequeAuthorsTodd D. Hickey, Christopher D. Reich, Kristine L. DeLong, Richard Z. Poore, John BrockBenthic habitat classification in Lignumvitae Key Basin, Florida Bay, using the U.S. Geological Survey Along-Track Reef Imaging System (ATRIS)
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) funded in partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Florida Water Management District, and other Federal, local and Tribal members has in its mandate a guideline to protect and restore freshwater flows to coastal environments to pre-1940s conditions (CERP, 1999). Historic salinity data are sparse for Florida Bay, so it is diffiAuthorsC. D. Reich, D.G. Zawada, P.R. Thompson, C.E. Reynolds, A.H. Spear, D.K. Umberger, R. Z. PooreInvestigation 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 canalAuthorsChristopher D. ReichDo 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, coAuthorsK. L. DeLong, R. Z. Poore, C. D. Reich, J. A. Flannery, Christopher R. Maupin, T. M. QuinnHolocene core logs and site statistics for modern patch-reef cores: Biscayne National Park, Florida
The bedrock in Biscayne National Park (BNP), a 1,730-square kilometer (km2) region off southeast Florida, consists of Pleistocene (1.8 million years ago (Ma) to 10,000 years ago (ka)) and Holocene (10 ka to present) carbonate rocks (Enos and Perkins, 1977; Halley and others, 1997; Multer and others, 2002). Most of the surficial limestone in BNP, including the islands of the Florida Keys, was formeAuthorsChristopher D. Reich, T. Don Hickey, Kristine L. DeLong, Richard Z. Poore, John BrockInvestigation of coastal hydrogeology utilizing geophysical and geochemical tools along the Broward County coast, Florida
Geophysical (CHIRP, boomer, and continuous direct-current resistivity) and geochemical tracer studies (continuous and time-series 222Radon) were conducted along the Broward County coast from Port Everglades to Hillsboro Inlet, Florida. Simultaneous seismic, direct-current resistivity, and radon surveys in the coastal waters provided information to characterize the geologic framework and identify pAuthorsChristopher D. Reich, Peter W. Swarzenski, W. Jason Greenwood, Dana S. Wiese - Data
Coral cores collected in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A.: Photographs and X-rays
Cores from living coral colonies were collected from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, to obtain skeletal records of past coral growth and allow geochemical reconstruction of environmental variables during the corals' centuries-long lifespans. The samples were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project that provides science to assist resource ma - News