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Climate change poses significant risks to coasts, from sea level rise and high-tide flooding to accelerated erosion and intensifying storms. USGS scientists help coastal communities better understand climate change impacts, inform emergency responses, and provide insights to improve resilience and preserve coastal resources in the future.
Millions of Americans live and play along the coast. Coastal counties are home to 127 million people (and growing!), accounting for \$8.6 trillion in goods and services each year. Coastal communities are well acquainted with the realities of living by the ocean – the storms, the waves, the salt, the sand. Yet climate change is altering the Nation’s coastal landscapes, creating new challenges for these communities that they are seldom equipped to face.
By helping people understand and respond to coastal change, the USGS helps communities become resilient to coastal hazards now and in the future.
USGS researchers use on-the-ground field work, high-resolution data, and modeling to help communities understand and respond to changes in coastal landscapes. Federal, Tribal, state, and local offices around the country use USGS data to inform coastal management and strategic planning. Some use our science to plan evacuation notices, inform city planning, and construct storm-resistant infrastructure. Others use USGS habitat assessments and decision support tools to restore coastal ecosystems, developing “green infrastructure” that can buffer against future storm damage and coastal erosion.
Our science helps to:
Forecast future storms, floods, and coastal erosion, and predict the resulting impacts on coasts
Build a better understanding of coastal ecosystems
Understand climate change impacts to coastal ecosystems and communities
Develop decision support tools to help coastal communities prepare for and recover from storms, floods, and erosion
Restore and protect coastal ecosystems that absorb greenhouse gasses, reducing the effects of climate change (blue carbon)
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
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.
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.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Explore some of the many USGS science projects on coastal change, storms, and sea level rise.
Check out some of the amazing USGS photos, videos, podcasts, and webinars on coastal change, sea level rise, and storms.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
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.
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.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana, and brought widespread precipitation and flooding along its path and up the northeastern coast of U.S. in the following week.
Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana, and brought widespread precipitation and flooding along its path and up the northeastern coast of U.S. in the following week.
A solar-powered Sofar spotter buoy floats in the water next to the R/V (Research Vessel) Sallenger.
A solar-powered Sofar spotter buoy floats in the water next to the R/V (Research Vessel) Sallenger.
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Tidal marshes exist as a transitional environment between the land and sea, and provides habitat to fish and wildlife, protects human developments from coastal flooding, and stores carbon at high density, among other important ecosystem services.
Tidal marshes exist as a transitional environment between the land and sea, and provides habitat to fish and wildlife, protects human developments from coastal flooding, and stores carbon at high density, among other important ecosystem services.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
Climate change poses significant risks to coasts, from sea level rise and high-tide flooding to accelerated erosion and intensifying storms. USGS scientists help coastal communities better understand climate change impacts, inform emergency responses, and provide insights to improve resilience and preserve coastal resources in the future.
Millions of Americans live and play along the coast. Coastal counties are home to 127 million people (and growing!), accounting for \$8.6 trillion in goods and services each year. Coastal communities are well acquainted with the realities of living by the ocean – the storms, the waves, the salt, the sand. Yet climate change is altering the Nation’s coastal landscapes, creating new challenges for these communities that they are seldom equipped to face.
By helping people understand and respond to coastal change, the USGS helps communities become resilient to coastal hazards now and in the future.
USGS researchers use on-the-ground field work, high-resolution data, and modeling to help communities understand and respond to changes in coastal landscapes. Federal, Tribal, state, and local offices around the country use USGS data to inform coastal management and strategic planning. Some use our science to plan evacuation notices, inform city planning, and construct storm-resistant infrastructure. Others use USGS habitat assessments and decision support tools to restore coastal ecosystems, developing “green infrastructure” that can buffer against future storm damage and coastal erosion.
Our science helps to:
Forecast future storms, floods, and coastal erosion, and predict the resulting impacts on coasts
Build a better understanding of coastal ecosystems
Understand climate change impacts to coastal ecosystems and communities
Develop decision support tools to help coastal communities prepare for and recover from storms, floods, and erosion
Restore and protect coastal ecosystems that absorb greenhouse gasses, reducing the effects of climate change (blue carbon)
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
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.
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.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Explore some of the many USGS science projects on coastal change, storms, and sea level rise.
Check out some of the amazing USGS photos, videos, podcasts, and webinars on coastal change, sea level rise, and storms.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
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.
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.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The sturdy root systems of mangrove forests act as buffer zones along the coastlines of some of the planet’s most vulnerable communities, protecting lives, ecosystems and property from the rigors of hurricanes and tsunamis.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
The marshes of Plum Island Estuary are among those predicted by scientists to submerge during the next century under conservative projections of sea-level rise.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
Steep watersheds with dramatic environmental gradients are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
This video was prepared for Douglas Beard's presentation at COP26, Communities on the Frontline. Jerilyn Kelly, from Quinhagak, AK shares video and photographs from her community and some of the climate related challenges her community faces. She describes how erosion and permafrost degradation impact her community and their housing.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana, and brought widespread precipitation and flooding along its path and up the northeastern coast of U.S. in the following week.
Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana, and brought widespread precipitation and flooding along its path and up the northeastern coast of U.S. in the following week.
A solar-powered Sofar spotter buoy floats in the water next to the R/V (Research Vessel) Sallenger.
A solar-powered Sofar spotter buoy floats in the water next to the R/V (Research Vessel) Sallenger.
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Tidal marshes exist as a transitional environment between the land and sea, and provides habitat to fish and wildlife, protects human developments from coastal flooding, and stores carbon at high density, among other important ecosystem services.
Tidal marshes exist as a transitional environment between the land and sea, and provides habitat to fish and wildlife, protects human developments from coastal flooding, and stores carbon at high density, among other important ecosystem services.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
In Photo: Juvenile mangroves on eastern berm of Jim Foot Key, April 2019. Mangroves are intermingled with saltwort, the dominant live vegetation on the damaged berms, and standing dead mangroves. Grid is 25 cm high. The question is whether these trees will mature fast enough to protect the berm from rising sea level.
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
A view of a vegetated inland coastline overlooking the water on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The island protects mainland Alabama’s coastal communities and resources from storms, while also providing recreational opportunities (fishing, beach tourism, etc.) and other economic benefits to the local community and state.
