Sound Waves Newsletter - January-February 2015
Scientific Portrait of the Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History
Scientists worked together to examine and report the effects of removing two large dams from the Elwha River in Washington State, the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history.
California Seafloor Mapping Program Reaches Milestone
The first phase of map and geospatial data publications, comprising six USGS Scientific Investigations Maps and associated data files centered on the Santa Barbara Channel, is now complete.
Future Wave and Wind Effects on Pacific Islands—Projections Will Assist Planning for Climate Change
Climate changes during the 21st century are expected to alter the highest waves and strongest winds across U.S. and U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands.
Virus Calculated as Culprit Killing Sea Stars
Slowly Swimming Towards Recovery, California’s Sea Otter Numbers Holding Steady
When sea otters want to rest, they wrap a piece of kelp around their body to hold themselves steady among the rolling waves. Likewise, California’s sea otter numbers are holding steady against the many forces pushing against their population recovery, according to the latest field survey led by federal, state, aquarium, and university scientists.
New Research Vessel Arcticus Advancing USGS Fishery Science in the Great Lakes
The USGS Great Lakes Science Center recently added a new vessel to its fleet: the 77-foot research vessel (R/V) Arcticus, which supports fishery research in Lakes Michigan and Huron.
Five New USGS Oceanographic Datasets Published Online—Uses Include Assessing Coastal Resilience to Storms
Oceanographic data from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) experiments off Fire Island, New York; in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey; in the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells, Maine; on the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana; and on Dauphin Island, Alabama, were published online in 2014 and early 2015 by the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Dive In! Explore Thousands of Coastal and Seafloor Images along U.S. Coasts
Thousands of photographs and videos of the seafloor and coastline—most areas never seen before—are now easily accessible online.
Getting Out of Harm’s Way—Evacuation from Tsunamis
USGS scientists have developed a new mapping tool for use by researchers and emergency managers to estimate how long it would take for someone to travel on foot out of a tsunami-hazard zone.
USGS Staff Educate Students and the Public at the 2014 St. Petersburg Science Festival in Florida
The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center had a strong presence at the 4th Annual St. Petersburg Science Festival held October 17–18, 2014, at Poynter Park, adjacent to the University of South Florida (USF) St. Petersburg campus.
Tribal GIS Training in the Northeast U.S.
Groups outside the formal scientific community can benefit from learning to use and adapt GIS techniques employed by the USGS.
Undamming Washington’s Elwha River—Public Lecture on Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History
On February 26, 2015 at the USGS campus in Menlo Park, California, USGS research geologist Amy East gave a public lecture on the largest dam removal in U.S. history.
Awards and Publications, January-February 2015 Sound Waves Newsletter
Three articles from the January-February 2015 issue of Sound Waves.