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Nearly two-thirds of our planet is covered by water with more than 120 million Americans living near an ocean or Great Lake. Celebrate Ocean Month and learn more about USGS ocean science research! And, check out the June 11 News Release from The White House, “Ocean Policy Committee Delivers on Strategies and Recommendations to Advance Ocean Exploration”

Underwater image of wave breaking over a coral reef
Ocean Ecosystems• Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)• Coral Reef Project• Coral Microbial Ecology• DISCOVRE - Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems Project

Nearly two-thirds of our planet is covered by water with more than 120 million Americans living near an ocean or Great Lake. Growing worldwide demand for natural resources will increase our dependence on coastal and marine environments while people, infrastructure, and ecosystems face increasing risks from hazards. USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources scientists and staff study coastal and ocean resources and processes from shorelines and estuaries to the continental shelf and deep sea so that we can fulfill our vision for a nation prepared for coastal and ocean changes.

“The USGS is proud to be an interagency partner in the efforts to increase American exploration of our planet’s ocean..." - Dr. Jim Reilly, USGS Director. Read the White House News Release from June 11, 2020.

Learn more about the science behind USGS research, in and on the ocean.

Multicores onboard the research vessel Pelican
Exploring the Deep Sea• Climate and Environmental Change in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean• Gas Hydrates Project• Global Ocean Mineral Resources

 

Map of project research in United States and Canada
Seafloor Mapping• California Seafloor Mapping Program• Florida Coastal Mapping Program• Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor
Bathymetric terrain model of Queen Charlotte Fault area, with multichannel seismic lines in red
Submarine Hazards• EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems• US West Coast and Alaska Marine Geohazards

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