In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Marine Biology and Ecosystems
California Sea Otter Surveys and Research
Coral Reef Project
Aerial Seabird and Marine Mammal Surveys
CASC Fish Research
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity - from invisible-to-the-eye microbes to the larger-than-life megafauna - and unique marine habitat, such as deepwater coral reefs, seamounts, and submarine canyons. USGS science helps inform the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, from the coastlines down to the deepest trench.
Life in the Sea
From the microscopic plants known as phytoplankton that form the basis of the aquatic food web to the largest animal to ever live on Earth, the blue whale, our oceans are home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role in the structure and function of this expansive marine environment.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Maintaining this biodiversity is important because a healthy ocean provides us with oxygen, helps regulate climate and weather, acts as a source of protein for many people around the world, and provides jobs and opportunities for eco-tourism and recreation. USGS science informs the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, in both nearshore and deepwater ecosystems.
USGS Role in Marine Ecosystems Research
From the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Gulf Region in between, USGS scientists have implemented a multi-faceted offshore research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate nearshore and deepwater ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach relies on a network of partners from around the Nation and the world to examine microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards in the little explored, yet vital, marine ecosystems.
Media
Wildlife disease: Much like terrestrial species, animals in the ocean have to worry about the spread of disease. USGS scientists across the Nation are working together with various federal and state partners to assess and better understand a novel coral disease that first appeared in stony corals off the coast of Florida in 2014 and has now spread throughout the Caribbean. In Hawaii, USGS scientists are studying the cause and spread of fibropapillomatosis, a disease that leads to tumors growing internally and externally on sea turtles.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Media
Wildlife tracking: Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife, particularly those species that spend most of their life offshore and/or underwater, is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. The USGS tags and tracks imperiled marine species, such as sea otters, sea turtles, and seabirds to learn about their behavior, migration patterns, and habitat use and areas of high use. This information can help inform the creation of marine protected areas or the development of species management strategies. Several aquatic animals, such as manatees or fishes like Chinook salmon and river herring, can move between fresh and salt water. Tracking their movement can reveal connections between marine and coastal ecosystems and provide insight into the seasonality of mass migrations.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Media
Satellite tracking: The satellite tracking map (yellow lines show satellite locations over time) of a loggerhead sea turtle tagged in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The male turtle traveled to Palm Beach County, Florida for a probable breeding foray during March of 2020.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
USGS Science in Nearshore Ecosystems
Nearshore systems are the habitats in which most people interact with marine environments, which include seabirds, seagrasses, algae, benthic invertebrates and fish, and top predators that include marine mammals like sharks, sea otters, walruses, and even polar bears. USGS research addresses natural and human-induced changes to this ecosystem and all its components.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Exploring Deep-sea Ecosystems
Most life in the ocean exists in surface waters above 200 meters depth where they have access to sunlight. However, even below 200 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases, abundant life exists. A diversity of organisms, including fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, anemones, sea stars, microbes, and even corals make their home in the deep sea. These organisms reside on topographically complex terrain mirroring our terrestrial landscape, dotted with features like trenches, seamounts, canyons, and volcanoes. They also leave behind fossils that help geoscientists construct models of ancient ocean conditions and Earth’s geologic history, as shown in the schematic below.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Life at the Bottom of the Ocean
The mention of the seafloor may evoke thoughts of a deep, dark expanse of nothing, but the often-assumed void of life in the deep sea couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with the lack of sunlight, an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and extreme pressures that an unprotected human could not survive, the deep sea is brimming with biodiversity, including deep-sea corals. The DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) program investigates unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. The multi-disciplinary approach has enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of significant biological communities surrounding deep coral reefs off the United States’ coasts.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Science
Walrus Research
The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts long-term research on the Pacific walrus to provide scientific information to Department of Interior management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners. In addition, the USGS Pacific walrus research program collaborates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the State of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game and Alaska Native co...
Polar Bear Research
Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the U.S. Department of Interior. The USGS Alaska Science Center leads long–term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Our studies, ongoing since 1985, are focused on population dynamics, health and energetics...
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore ecosystems include many resources that are of high ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value. They also are subject to influences from a wide variety of natural and human-caused perturbations, which can originate in terrestrial or oceanic environments. Our research is designed to evaluate sources of variation in the nearshore and how they influence resources of high...
Controls on habitat for native lamprey in the Siletz River Basin
Chinook Salmon and Pacific Lamprey are culturally significant fishes to the Tribal community along the Siletz River, Oregon. The USGS studied how streamflow and bedload conditions may influence mainstem spawning habitats.
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Multimedia
North Pacific Marine Heatwave
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Common Eiders - animation
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Seabirds and Marine Mammals Photographed During Aerial Surveys
Tufted Puffins on the water, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Tufted Puffin animation
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Filter Total Items: 55
Integrating Science and Management to Assist with the Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
A USGS multi-disciplinary team will use laboratory and modeling approaches to investigate the cause of stony coral tissue loss disease.
Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.
Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats
Seafloor resource managers and modelers need seafloor maps that can be combined in GIS, modeling, and statistical analysis environments and related successfully to biologic and oceanographic data. The Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats Project encompasses mapping activities and the development of new mapping systems and methodologies. The emphasis is on the role of geologic processes in...
California Seafloor Mapping Program
The California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) is a cooperative program to create a comprehensive coastal and marine geologic and habitat base map series for all of California's State waters.
Eastern Ecological Science Center partnership with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Collaboration between the world-class expertise of USGS scientists, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Science Program, and state and federal fishery agencies demonstrates the power of partnerships to solve seemingly-insurmountable problems in sustainable and cooperative management of Atlantic coastal fisheries.
Post-Hurricane Florence Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat Nest Site Selection at Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores
WARC researchers will be surveying nesting beaches in Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. They will record GPS locations for all crawls, nests, and turtles encountered/captured, and will be placing satellite tags on a subset of individuals to determine habitat use and delineate inter-nesting areas used by reproductive females.
Unlocking Resilience Drivers to Inform Pacific Coral Reef Management
Coral reefs are threatened by climate change because warming ocean temperatures are causing corals to bleach (i.e. lose the algae that provides them with the majority of their energy) which can lead to coral starvation and death. Local environmental conditions can contribute to either the resilience or susceptibility of corals to the global stress of climate change. One such factor is...
Ecological and Socio-Cultural Responses to Transplanting Corals to Enhance Reef Resilience Near Oʻahu
Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to a combination of stressors, but climate induced ocean warming is the biggest threat. Warming oceans lead to ‘coral bleaching’ and frequent death, compromising the structure and function of reefs. The increasing frequency and severity of bleaching means that human intervention is needed to support the adaptive capacity of reefs. Most proposed...
Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Fish that migrate between fresh and salt waters, called diadromous fishes, are integral to coastal Tribal cultures as subsistence foods. Throughout their Northeast range, diadromous fish populations have shown strong declines over recent decades due to the combined impacts of habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. These changes have led to decreasing access to...
Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Assess Coral Reef Bleaching Events and Recovery Rates in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Coral reef ecosystems serve as natural coastal defenses, support local island economies, and are important sources of food for coastal communities. However, an increase in coral bleaching events, and the associated declines of coral cover and diversity, are highly likely as sea surface temperatures continue to rise. Multiple coral bleaching events between 2013 and 2017 have already...
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Geologic Mapping
These field activity data releases, publications, and maps are part of the combined effort by the U.S. Geological Survey and NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to map the geologic substrates of Stellwagen Bank and to study the ecology of fish and invertebrate species that inhabit the bank’s sandy substrates off Boston, Massachusetts.
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Gulf of America
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity - from invisible-to-the-eye microbes to the larger-than-life megafauna - and unique marine habitat, such as deepwater coral reefs, seamounts, and submarine canyons. USGS science helps inform the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, from the coastlines down to the deepest trench.
Life in the Sea
From the microscopic plants known as phytoplankton that form the basis of the aquatic food web to the largest animal to ever live on Earth, the blue whale, our oceans are home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role in the structure and function of this expansive marine environment.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Maintaining this biodiversity is important because a healthy ocean provides us with oxygen, helps regulate climate and weather, acts as a source of protein for many people around the world, and provides jobs and opportunities for eco-tourism and recreation. USGS science informs the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, in both nearshore and deepwater ecosystems.
USGS Role in Marine Ecosystems Research
From the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Gulf Region in between, USGS scientists have implemented a multi-faceted offshore research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate nearshore and deepwater ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach relies on a network of partners from around the Nation and the world to examine microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards in the little explored, yet vital, marine ecosystems.
Media
Wildlife disease: Much like terrestrial species, animals in the ocean have to worry about the spread of disease. USGS scientists across the Nation are working together with various federal and state partners to assess and better understand a novel coral disease that first appeared in stony corals off the coast of Florida in 2014 and has now spread throughout the Caribbean. In Hawaii, USGS scientists are studying the cause and spread of fibropapillomatosis, a disease that leads to tumors growing internally and externally on sea turtles.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Media
Wildlife tracking: Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife, particularly those species that spend most of their life offshore and/or underwater, is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. The USGS tags and tracks imperiled marine species, such as sea otters, sea turtles, and seabirds to learn about their behavior, migration patterns, and habitat use and areas of high use. This information can help inform the creation of marine protected areas or the development of species management strategies. Several aquatic animals, such as manatees or fishes like Chinook salmon and river herring, can move between fresh and salt water. Tracking their movement can reveal connections between marine and coastal ecosystems and provide insight into the seasonality of mass migrations.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Media
Satellite tracking: The satellite tracking map (yellow lines show satellite locations over time) of a loggerhead sea turtle tagged in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The male turtle traveled to Palm Beach County, Florida for a probable breeding foray during March of 2020.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
USGS Science in Nearshore Ecosystems
Nearshore systems are the habitats in which most people interact with marine environments, which include seabirds, seagrasses, algae, benthic invertebrates and fish, and top predators that include marine mammals like sharks, sea otters, walruses, and even polar bears. USGS research addresses natural and human-induced changes to this ecosystem and all its components.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Exploring Deep-sea Ecosystems
Most life in the ocean exists in surface waters above 200 meters depth where they have access to sunlight. However, even below 200 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases, abundant life exists. A diversity of organisms, including fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, anemones, sea stars, microbes, and even corals make their home in the deep sea. These organisms reside on topographically complex terrain mirroring our terrestrial landscape, dotted with features like trenches, seamounts, canyons, and volcanoes. They also leave behind fossils that help geoscientists construct models of ancient ocean conditions and Earth’s geologic history, as shown in the schematic below.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Life at the Bottom of the Ocean
The mention of the seafloor may evoke thoughts of a deep, dark expanse of nothing, but the often-assumed void of life in the deep sea couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with the lack of sunlight, an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and extreme pressures that an unprotected human could not survive, the deep sea is brimming with biodiversity, including deep-sea corals. The DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) program investigates unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. The multi-disciplinary approach has enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of significant biological communities surrounding deep coral reefs off the United States’ coasts.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Science
Walrus Research
The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts long-term research on the Pacific walrus to provide scientific information to Department of Interior management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners. In addition, the USGS Pacific walrus research program collaborates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the State of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game and Alaska Native co...
Polar Bear Research
Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the U.S. Department of Interior. The USGS Alaska Science Center leads long–term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Our studies, ongoing since 1985, are focused on population dynamics, health and energetics...
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore ecosystems include many resources that are of high ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value. They also are subject to influences from a wide variety of natural and human-caused perturbations, which can originate in terrestrial or oceanic environments. Our research is designed to evaluate sources of variation in the nearshore and how they influence resources of high...
Controls on habitat for native lamprey in the Siletz River Basin
Chinook Salmon and Pacific Lamprey are culturally significant fishes to the Tribal community along the Siletz River, Oregon. The USGS studied how streamflow and bedload conditions may influence mainstem spawning habitats.
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Multimedia
North Pacific Marine Heatwave
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Common Eiders - animation
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Seabirds and Marine Mammals Photographed During Aerial Surveys
Tufted Puffins on the water, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surfaceZoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animation
Argos Wildlife Tracking Pelagic Cormorants - animationIllustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Argos Wildlife Tracking Tufted Puffin animation
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Filter Total Items: 55
Integrating Science and Management to Assist with the Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
A USGS multi-disciplinary team will use laboratory and modeling approaches to investigate the cause of stony coral tissue loss disease.
Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.
Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats
Seafloor resource managers and modelers need seafloor maps that can be combined in GIS, modeling, and statistical analysis environments and related successfully to biologic and oceanographic data. The Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats Project encompasses mapping activities and the development of new mapping systems and methodologies. The emphasis is on the role of geologic processes in...
California Seafloor Mapping Program
The California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) is a cooperative program to create a comprehensive coastal and marine geologic and habitat base map series for all of California's State waters.
Eastern Ecological Science Center partnership with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Collaboration between the world-class expertise of USGS scientists, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Science Program, and state and federal fishery agencies demonstrates the power of partnerships to solve seemingly-insurmountable problems in sustainable and cooperative management of Atlantic coastal fisheries.
Post-Hurricane Florence Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat Nest Site Selection at Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores
WARC researchers will be surveying nesting beaches in Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. They will record GPS locations for all crawls, nests, and turtles encountered/captured, and will be placing satellite tags on a subset of individuals to determine habitat use and delineate inter-nesting areas used by reproductive females.
Unlocking Resilience Drivers to Inform Pacific Coral Reef Management
Coral reefs are threatened by climate change because warming ocean temperatures are causing corals to bleach (i.e. lose the algae that provides them with the majority of their energy) which can lead to coral starvation and death. Local environmental conditions can contribute to either the resilience or susceptibility of corals to the global stress of climate change. One such factor is...
Ecological and Socio-Cultural Responses to Transplanting Corals to Enhance Reef Resilience Near Oʻahu
Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to a combination of stressors, but climate induced ocean warming is the biggest threat. Warming oceans lead to ‘coral bleaching’ and frequent death, compromising the structure and function of reefs. The increasing frequency and severity of bleaching means that human intervention is needed to support the adaptive capacity of reefs. Most proposed...
Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Fish that migrate between fresh and salt waters, called diadromous fishes, are integral to coastal Tribal cultures as subsistence foods. Throughout their Northeast range, diadromous fish populations have shown strong declines over recent decades due to the combined impacts of habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. These changes have led to decreasing access to...
Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Assess Coral Reef Bleaching Events and Recovery Rates in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Coral reef ecosystems serve as natural coastal defenses, support local island economies, and are important sources of food for coastal communities. However, an increase in coral bleaching events, and the associated declines of coral cover and diversity, are highly likely as sea surface temperatures continue to rise. Multiple coral bleaching events between 2013 and 2017 have already...
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Geologic Mapping
These field activity data releases, publications, and maps are part of the combined effort by the U.S. Geological Survey and NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to map the geologic substrates of Stellwagen Bank and to study the ecology of fish and invertebrate species that inhabit the bank’s sandy substrates off Boston, Massachusetts.
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Gulf of America