Christopher Sherwood, PhD
Chris (he/him/his), is a coastal oceanographer with expertise in measuring and modeling sediment transport and coastal morphology changes.
Professional Experience
Research Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA and Woods Hole, MA, 1999 – present.
Affiliate Faculty, Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 2009 – present
Guest Investigator, Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 2011 – present
Senior Research Scientist, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Division of Marine Research, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 1996 - 1999
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Geological Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 1995
M.S. Geological Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 1982
A.B., Economics and Environmental Studies, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, 1976
Science and Products
Alexandrium fundyense cysts in the Gulf of Maine: long-term time series of abundance and distribution, and linkages to past and future blooms
Investigating the importance of sediment resuspension in Alexandrium fundyense cyst population dynamics in the Gulf of Maine
Model behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA
Studying seafloor bedforms using autonomous stationary imaging and profiling sonars
Near-bottom circulation and dispersion of sediment containing Alexandrium fundyense cysts in the Gulf of Maine during 2010-2011
Characterizing wave- and current- induced bottom shear stress: U.S. middle Atlantic continental shelf
Profile measurements and data from the 2011 Optics, Acoustics, and Stress In Situ (OASIS) project at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory
Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey sea floor stress and sediment mobility database
Palos Verdes Shelf oceanographic study; data report for observations December 2007–April 2008
Summary of oceanographic and water–quality measurements in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, 2009–2010
Formation dynamics of subsurface hydrocarbon intrusions following the Deepwater Horizon blowout
Simulating oil droplet dispersal from the Deepwater Horizon spill with a Lagrangian approach
Oceanographic and Water-Quality Measurements collected south of Marthas Vineyard, MA, November-December 2015
Point cloud from low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial system (UAS) flights over Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Spit, Nauset Inlet, and Nauset Marsh, Cape Cod National Seashore, Eastham, Massachusetts on 1 March 2016 (LAZ file)
Low-altitude aerial imagery and related field observations associated with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights over Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Spit, Nauset Inlet, and Nauset Marsh, Cape Cod National Seashore, Eastham, Massachusetts on 1 March 2016
Science and Products
- Publications
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Alexandrium fundyense cysts in the Gulf of Maine: long-term time series of abundance and distribution, and linkages to past and future blooms
Here we document Alexandrium fundyense cyst abundance and distribution patterns over nine years (1997 and 2004–2011) in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and identify linkages between those patterns and several metrics of the severity or magnitude of blooms occurring before and after each autumn cyst survey. We also explore the relative utility of two measures of cyst abundance and demAuthorsDonald M. Anderson, Bruce A. Keafer, Judith L. Kleindinst, Dennis J. McGillicuddy, Jennifer L. Martin, Kerry Norton, Cynthia H. Pilskaln, Juliette L. Smith, Christopher R. Sherwood, Bradford ButmanInvestigating the importance of sediment resuspension in Alexandrium fundyense cyst population dynamics in the Gulf of Maine
Cysts of Alexandrium fundyense, a dinoflagellate that causes toxic algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine, spend the winter as dormant cells in the upper layer of bottom sediment or the bottom nepheloid layer and germinate in spring to initiate new blooms. Erosion measurements were made on sediment cores collected at seven stations in the Gulf of Maine in the autumn of 2011 to explore if resuspension (AuthorsBradford Butman, Alfredo L. Aretxabaleta, Patrick J. Dickhudt, P. Soupy Dalyander, Christopher R. Sherwood, Donald M. Anderson, Bruce A. Keafer, Richard P. SignellModel behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA
The Community Sediment Transport Modeling System (CSTMS) cohesive bed sub-model that accounts for erosion, deposition, consolidation, and swelling was implemented in a three-dimensional domain to represent the York River estuary, Virginia. The objectives of this paper are to (1) describe the application of the three-dimensional hydrodynamic York Cohesive Bed Model, (2) compare calculations to obseAuthorsKelsey A. Fall, Courtney K. Harris, Carl T. Friedrichs, J. Paul Rinehimer, Christopher R. SherwoodStudying seafloor bedforms using autonomous stationary imaging and profiling sonars
The Sediment Transport Group at the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center uses downward looking sonars deployed on seafloor tripods to assess and measure the formation and migration of bedforms. The sonars have been used in three resolution-testing experiments, and deployed autonomously to observe changes in the seafloor for up to two months in seven field experimentAuthorsEllyn T. Montgomery, Christopher R. SherwoodNear-bottom circulation and dispersion of sediment containing Alexandrium fundyense cysts in the Gulf of Maine during 2010-2011
The life cycle of Alexandrium fundyense in the Gulf of Maine includes a dormant cyst stage that spends the winter predominantly in the bottom sediment. Wave-current bottom stress caused by storms and tides induces resuspension of cyst-containing sediment during winter and spring. Resuspended sediment could be transported by water flow to different locations in the Gulf and the redistribution of seAuthorsAlfredo L. Aretxabaleta, Bradford Butman, Richard P. Signell, P. Soupy Dalyander, Christopher R. Sherwood, Vitalii A. Sheremet, Dennis J. McGillicuddyCharacterizing wave- and current- induced bottom shear stress: U.S. middle Atlantic continental shelf
Waves and currents create bottom shear stress, a force at the seabed that influences sediment texture distribution, micro-topography, habitat, and anthropogenic use. This paper presents a methodology for assessing the magnitude, variability, and driving mechanisms of bottom stress and resultant sediment mobility on regional scales using numerical model output. The analysis was applied to the MiddlAuthorsP. Soupy Dalyander, Bradford Butman, Christopher R. Sherwood, Richard P. Signell, John L. WilkinProfile measurements and data from the 2011 Optics, Acoustics, and Stress In Situ (OASIS) project at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory
This report documents data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Coastal Model Applications and Field Measurements project under the auspices of the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research Optics, Acoustics, and Stress In Situ (OASIS) Project. The objective of the measurements was to relate optical and acoustic properties of suspended particles to changes in particle size, concentratioAuthorsChristopher R. Sherwood, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Marinna A. Martini, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Emmanuel S. BossDocumentation of the U.S. Geological Survey sea floor stress and sediment mobility database
The U.S. Geological Survey Sea Floor Stress and Sediment Mobility Database contains estimates of bottom stress and sediment mobility for the U.S. continental shelf. This U.S. Geological Survey database provides information that is needed to characterize sea floor ecosystems and evaluate areas for human use. The estimates contained in the database are designed to spatially and seasonally resolve thAuthorsP. Soupy Dalyander, Bradford Butman, Christopher R. Sherwood, Richard P. SignellPalos Verdes Shelf oceanographic study; data report for observations December 2007–April 2008
Beginning in 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defined a contaminated section of the Palos Verdes Shelf region in southern California as a Superfund Site, initiating a continuing investigation of this area. The investigation involved the EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) data,AuthorsKurt J. Rosenberger, Marlene A. Noble, Christopher R. Sherwood, Marinna M. Martini, Joanne T. Ferreira, Ellyn T. MontgomerySummary of oceanographic and water–quality measurements in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, 2009–2010
This data report presents oceanographic and water-quality observations made at six locations in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, from August 2009 to September 2010. Both Buzzards Bay and West Falmouth Harbor are estuarine embayments; the input of freshwater on the eastern margin of Buzzards Bay adjacent to Cape Cod and West Falmouth Harbor is largely due to groundwater. In WesAuthorsNeil K. Ganju, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Jennifer A. Thomas, Jonathan Borden, Christopher R. Sherwood, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Erin R. Twomey, Marinna A. MartiniFormation dynamics of subsurface hydrocarbon intrusions following the Deepwater Horizon blowout
Hydrocarbons released following the Deepwater Horizon (DH) blowout were found in deep, subsurface horizontal intrusions, yet there has been little discussion about how these intrusions formed. We have combined measured (or estimated) observations from the DH release with empirical relationships developed from previous lab experiments to identify the mechanisms responsible for intrusion formation aAuthorsScott A. Socolofsky, E. Eric Adams, Christopher R. SherwoodSimulating oil droplet dispersal from the Deepwater Horizon spill with a Lagrangian approach
An analytical multiphase plume model, combined with time-varying flow and hydrographic fields generated by the 3-D South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico model (SABGOM) hydrodynamic model, were used as input to a Lagrangian transport model (LTRANS), to simulate transport of oil droplets dispersed at depth from the recent Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill. The plume model predicts a stratificatioAuthorsElizabeth W. North, E. Eric Adams, Zachary Schlag, Christopher R. Sherwood, Ruoying He, Hoon Hyun, Scott A. Socolofsky - Science
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Oceanographic and Water-Quality Measurements collected south of Marthas Vineyard, MA, November-December 2015
Two platforms were deployed at adjacent sites near the Marthas Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) to compare their ability to measure bottom shear stress. One platform was a low-profile (20 cm-high) sled, and the other platform was a large (2.5-m high) quadpod. Both platforms supported a pair of single-point acoustic-Doppler current meters and an acoustic-Doppler current profiler. On the sled, thPoint cloud from low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial system (UAS) flights over Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Spit, Nauset Inlet, and Nauset Marsh, Cape Cod National Seashore, Eastham, Massachusetts on 1 March 2016 (LAZ file)
This point cloud was derived from low-altitude aerial images collected from an unmanned aerial system (UAS) flown in the Cape Cod National Seashore on 1 March, 2016. The objective of the project was to evaluate the quality and cost of mapping from UAS images. The point cloud contains 434,098,030 unclassifed and unedited geolocated points. The points have horizontal coordinates in NAD83(2011) UTM ZLow-altitude aerial imagery and related field observations associated with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights over Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Spit, Nauset Inlet, and Nauset Marsh, Cape Cod National Seashore, Eastham, Massachusetts on 1 March 2016
Low-altitude (approximately 120 meters above ground level) digital images were obtained from cameras mounted in a fixed-wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) flown from the lawn adjacent to the Coast Guard Beach parking lot on 1 March, 2016. The UAS was a Skywalker X8 operated by Raptor Maps, Inc., contractors to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Two consecutive UAS missions were flown, each with two - Multimedia
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