Research Oceanographer Jessica Lacy investigates the influence of tides, waves, and water levels on wave-exposed tidal salt marshes, helping to understand how these important ecosystems will respond to sea level rise. Marshes are important ecosystems, both because they provide habitat for wildlife and birds and because they buffer nearby human communities from flooding. Yet nearly 90% of marshes...

Research Geochemist Renee Takesue combines geology and chemistry to shed light on how chemical components from natural and human-made sources make their way into coastal environments. The chemistry of rocks, soil, and water contain clues about the environments in which they were formed, and about natural and human processes that affect them. Geochemistry can also provide information about...

Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing. The Beaufort Sea coast along the northern edge of Alaska is a place of extremes. Home to the northernmost year-round settlements in the United States, this region sees round-the-clock daylight during the three-month Arctic summer and is shrouded in...

Along reef-lined shores of the Pacific Islands, USGS Research Geologist and Oceanographer Ferdinand Oberle studies how warming surface waters, nutrient runoff, and increasingly powerful storms impact coral reefs. Healthy coral reefs are more than just hotspots of marine biodiversity and the source of livelihood for coastal communities—they’re also invaluable to long-term resilience against storms...

Research Oceanographer Kira Mizell studies change in ocean chemistry by collecting marine minerals, looking for insights into past climate conditions and geologic history. The world’s oceans are in constant flux, influencing—and being influenced by—Earth’s climate. One way USGS researchers study changes in ocean chemistry over geologic time is by collecting marine minerals known as ferromanganese...