Images

Key used in an educational lesson plan for identifying the composition and condition of corals and coralline algae in a core. (a) Two examples of Pocillopora in good taphonomic condition (<50% erosion or encrustation of the skeleton).

Davina Passeri of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center presents a poster about coastal change research in Dauphin Island, Alabama at the USGS Southeast Regional Meeting in February 2020.

Ilsa Kuffner speaks to a group at the USGS Southeast Regional Meeting in February 2020 about coral research conducted by the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Field equipment used by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists for bathymetric and topographic surveys in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center strives to provide timely, robust science using modern methods and state-of-the-art technologies. This involves keeping our facilities and equipment updated.

The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted outreach at the Localtopia Event held in February 2020. Staff demonstrated a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion.

Thermal infrared image of two USGS researchers standing on the coastline and looking out (up on the image) over a coastal groundwater plume that is non-visible to the naked eye but can be observed in this thermal image due to the temperature differences between the cooler (blue) groundwater and warmer (pink) ocean water over the coral reefs.

The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center hosted a mini panel discussion of scientists for local children to learn about USGS research, capabilities, and techniques for studying changes in climate across Earth’s history.

The SQUID-5, or a Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 cameras is a towed surface vehicle with an onboard Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and 5 downward-looking cameras with overlapping views of the seafloor.

Participants of the Coastal Change Hazards State of Our Nation’s Coast stakeholder engagement workshop at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Reserve in Falmouth, MA. Participants are pictured here talking in small groups.

A group of participants at the Coastal Change Hazards State of Our Nation’s Coast stakeholder engagement workshop at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Reserve in Falmouth, MA. Here participants are pictured writing the names of tools they use on sticky notes.

USGS marine engineering technician Dan Powers from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center retrieves the GOMEX box corer from Bellingham Bay, Washington.

A CTD-rosette is a commonly used instrument that measures conductivity (that can inform scientists about salinity), temperature, and depth (CTD). As the instrument is lowered into the water--sometimes down to great depths--the cylinders around will open at various depths to collect water samples at discrete locations throughout the water column.

Caitlin Reynolds of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center secures a sediment trap, retrieved from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on board the R/V Pelican.

A beautiful sun set over the Gulf of Mexico from the stern of the R/V Pelican.

A large winch on the stern of R/V Pelican is used to retrieve two sediment traps from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Porites and Acropora coral species in reef flat pools in the National Park of American Samoa on Ofu, Manuʻa Islands Group, American Samoa.

The GOMEX box corer is constructed of stainless steel and is used to sample soft sediments at the bottom of lakes, bays, and the ocean. The GOMEX box coring sampler is so-named because it is popular for sampling work in the Gulf of Mexico.

PCMSC MarFac field specialists retrieve the GOMEX box corer.

Dive operations with National Park Service and the National Park of American Samoa installing tide, wave, temperature, and salinity sensors on the fore reef in NPSA off the south shore of Ofu, Manuʻa.

USGS scientists install a thermal imaging system in the National Park of American Samoa off the south shore of Ofu, Manua. The system detects temperature variations, like a colder freshwater plume that emanates from the shore.