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Surveying off Montecito, CA

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Beach and boardwalk area with palm trees in background, and a single person driving a personal watercraft just offshore.
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Detailed Description

Jackson Currie of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center drives a personal watercraft (PWC) offshore of Butterfly Beach in Montecito, California. The equipment on the PWC collects bathymetry, or depth, data which is used to map the nearshore. USGS has been mapping this area twice yearly—every spring and fall—since 2005. The data collected is incorporated into models of future coastal change to help California communities plan to protect their coastlines.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.