Curt Storlazzi, PhD
My interests span the coastal zone, from seacliff erosional processes to sediment dynamics in the shallow coastal ocean. My research focuses on the quantitative study of hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and geomorphology in coastal and marine environments.
Research Topics
Coral reef morphology, hydrodynamics, and sediment, nutrient, contaminant, and larval transport
The role of coral reefs and other coastal ecosystems in coastal hazard risk reduction
The interplay between geologic structure, climatic fluctuations, and coastal processes
High-resolution oceanographic instrumentation and coastal mapping techniques
The influence of physical processes on coral reef ecosystems
Many tropical coastal environments have been impacted by infrastructure development, nutrient and contaminant delivery, and natural and human-induced sedimentation. The high geomorphic and hydrodynamic complexity both within and between coral reefs, in conjunction with past technical restrictions, has limited our understanding of the nature of flow and the resulting flux of physical, chemical, and biologic material in these ecosystems. Understanding the physical controls on the timing and magnitude of flow and sediment, larvae, nutrient, and contaminant transport, along with their impact on seafloor geomorphology, stability, and sedimentation in these refugia are essential to assessing modern anthropogenic impacts (climate change, etc.) on these ecosystems and help guide how restoration can increase the resiliency of coral reef-lined coastal communities.
See: Coral Reef Project and The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction (links below)
The influence of climate change and sea-level rise on coral reef-lined coasts
Observations show that sea level is rising and recent projections indicate sea level will exceed 1.0 m, and may reach 2.0 m, above 2000 levels by the end of the 21st century. The amount of land and water available for human habitation, water and food sources, and ecosystems along coral reef-lined coasts is limited and vulnerable to wave-driven flooding during storms. Rising sea levels will further exacerbate the impacts of storms on coral reef-lined coasts by reducing wave breaking (and thus energy dissipation) over reefs and result in greater wave energy impacting the shoreline, causing increased flooding and changes to the coast such as erosion. Understanding the physical controls on the timing and magnitude of flooding, along with their impact on coastal geomorphology, are essential to assessing impacts on, and the future sustainability of, coastal infrastructure, agriculture, freshwater availability, and ecosystems.
See: Low-lying areas of tropical Pacific islands (links below)
Professional Experience
2002-present: Research Geologist and Oceanographer, USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
2002-present: Research Associate, University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) Institute for Marine Sciences
Education and Certifications
2002-2004: Research Fellow, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans Consortium
2000-2002: Post-doctoral Researcher, UCSC Institute for Marine Sciences
2000: Ph.D., UCSC, Earth Sciences Department
1996: B.Sc., University of Delaware, Geology Department
Science and Products
Nearshore morphology, benthic structure, hydrodynamics, and coastal groundwater discharge near Kahekili Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii
Progress report for project modeling Arctic barrier island-lagoon system response to projected Arctic warming
Coastal circulation and potential coral-larval dispersal in Maunalua Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii—Measurements of waves, currents, temperature, and salinity, June-September 2010
Coastal circulation and sediment dynamics in Pelekane and Kawaihae Bays, Hawaii--measurements of waves, currents, temperature, salinity, turbidity, and geochronology: November 2010--March 2011
Coastal circulation and water-column properties off Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Molokai, Hawaii, 2008-2010
Suspended sediment and organic contaminants in the San Lorenzo River, California, water years 2009-2010
The dynamics of fine-grain sediment dredged from Santa Cruz Harbor
The influence of sea-level rise on fringing reef sediment dynamics: field observations and numerical modeling
Rising sea level may cause decline of fringing coral reefs
Numerical modeling of the impact of sea-level rise on fringing coral reef hydrodynamics and sediment transport
Sediment dynamics and the burial and exhumation of bedrock reefs along an emergent coastline as elucidated by repetitive sonar surveys: Northern Monterey Bay, CA
Hydrodynamics of a bathymetrically complex fringing coral reef embayment: Wave climate, in situ observations, and wave prediction
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Nearshore morphology, benthic structure, hydrodynamics, and coastal groundwater discharge near Kahekili Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii
This report presents a brief summary of recent fieldwork conducted off Kahekili Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii, the site of the newly established U.S. Coral Reef Task Force priority study area at Kaanapali and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA). The goals of this fieldwork are to provide new baseline infAuthorsPeter W. Swarzenski, Curt D. Storlazzi, M. Katherine Presto, Ann E. Gibbs, Christopher G. Smith, Natasha T. Dimova, Meghan L. Dailer, Joshua B. LoganProgress report for project modeling Arctic barrier island-lagoon system response to projected Arctic warming
Changes in Arctic coastal ecosystems in response to global warming may be some of the most severe on the planet. A better understanding and analysis of the rates at which these changes are expected to occur over the coming decades is crucial in order to delineate high-priority areas that are likely to be affected by climate changes. In this study we investigate the likelihood of changes to habitatAuthorsLi H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond, Curt D. Storlazzi, Benjamin M. JonesCoastal circulation and potential coral-larval dispersal in Maunalua Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii—Measurements of waves, currents, temperature, and salinity, June-September 2010
This report presents a summary of fieldwork conducted in Maunalua Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii to address coral-larval dispersal and recruitment from June through September, 2010. The objectives of this study were to understand the temporal and spatial variations in currents, waves, tides, temperature, and salinity in Maunalua Bay during the summer coral-spawning season of Montipora capitata. Short-term vesAuthorsM. Katherine Presto, Curt D. Storlazzi, Joshua B. Logan, Thomas E. Reiss, Kurt J. RosenbergerCoastal circulation and sediment dynamics in Pelekane and Kawaihae Bays, Hawaii--measurements of waves, currents, temperature, salinity, turbidity, and geochronology: November 2010--March 2011
Coral reef communities on the Island of Hawaii have been heavily affected by the construction of Kawaihae Harbor in the 1950s and by subsequent changes in land use in the adjacent watershed. Sedimentation and other forms of land-based pollution have led to declines in water quality and coral reef health over the past two decades (Tissot, 1998). Erosion mitigation efforts are underway on land, andAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Michael E. Field, M. Katherine Presto, Peter W. Swarzenski, Joshua B. Logan, Thomas E. Reiss, Timothy C. Elfers, Susan A. Cochran, Michael E. Torresan, Hank ChezarCoastal circulation and water-column properties off Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Molokai, Hawaii, 2008-2010
More than 2.2 million measurements of oceanographic forcing and the resulting water-column properties were made off U.S. National Park Service's Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the north shore of Molokai, Hawaii, between 2008 and 2010 to understand the role of oceanographic processes on the health and sustainability of the area's marine resources. The tides off the Kalaupapa Peninsula are miAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Katherine Presto, Eric K. BrownSuspended sediment and organic contaminants in the San Lorenzo River, California, water years 2009-2010
This report presents analyses of suspended sediment and organic contaminants measured during a two-year study of the San Lorenzo River, central California, which discharges into the Pacific Ocean within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Most suspended-sediment transport occurred during flooding caused by winter storms; 55 percent of the sediment load was transported by the river during aAuthorsAmy E. Draut, Christopher H. Conaway, Kathy R. Echols, Curt D. Storlazzi, Andrew RitchieThe dynamics of fine-grain sediment dredged from Santa Cruz Harbor
In the fall and early winter of 2009, a demonstration project was done at Santa Cruz Harbor, California, to determine if 450 m3/day of predominantly (71 percent) mud-sized sediment could be dredged from the inner portion of the harbor and discharged to the coastal ocean without significant impacts to the beach and inner shelf. During the project, more than 7600 m3 of sediment (~5400 m3 of fine-graAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Christopher H. Conaway, M. Katherine Presto, Joshua B. Logan, Katherine Cronin, Maarten van Ormondt, Jamie Lescinski, E. Lynne Harden, Jessica R. Lacy, Pieter K. TonnonThe influence of sea-level rise on fringing reef sediment dynamics: field observations and numerical modeling
While most climate projections suggest that sea level may rise on the order of 0.5-1.0 m by 2100, it is not clear how fluid flow and sediment transport on fringing reefs might change in response to this rapid sea-level rise. Field observations and numerical modeling suggest that an increase in water depth on the order of 0.5-1.0 m on a fringing reef flat would result in larger significant wave heiAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Michael E. Field, Edwin Elias, M. Katherine PrestoRising sea level may cause decline of fringing coral reefs
Coral reefs are major marine ecosystems and critical resources for marine diversity and fisheries. These ecosystems are widely recognized to be at risk from a number of stressors, and added to those in the past several decades is climate change due to anthropogenically driven increases in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Most threatening to most coral reefs are elevated sea surfaceAuthorsMichael E. Field, Andrea S. Ogston, Curt D. StorlazziNumerical modeling of the impact of sea-level rise on fringing coral reef hydrodynamics and sediment transport
Most climate projections suggest that sea level may rise on the order of 0.5-1.0 m by 2100; it is not clear, however, how fluid flow and sediment dynamics on exposed fringing reefs might change in response to this rapid sea-level rise. Coupled hydrodynamic and sediment-transport numerical modeling is consistent with recent published results that suggest that an increase in water depth on the orderAuthorsC. D. Storlazzi, E. Elias, M.E. Field, M.K. PrestoSediment dynamics and the burial and exhumation of bedrock reefs along an emergent coastline as elucidated by repetitive sonar surveys: Northern Monterey Bay, CA
Two high-resolution bathymetric and acoustic backscatter sonar surveys were conducted along the energetic emergent inner shelf of northern Monterey Bay, CA, USA, in the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2006 to determine the impact of winter storm waves, beach erosion, and river floods on biologically-important siliclastic bedrock reef habitats. The surveys extended from water depths of 4 m to 22 m aAuthorsC. D. Storlazzi, T.A. Fregoso, N.E. Golden, D.P. FinlaysonHydrodynamics of a bathymetrically complex fringing coral reef embayment: Wave climate, in situ observations, and wave prediction
This paper examines the relationship between offshore wave climate and nearshore waves and currents at Hanalei Bay, Hawaii, an exposed bay fringed with coral reefs. Analysis of both offshore in situ data and numerical hindcasts identify the predominance of two wave conditions: a mode associated with local trade winds and an episodic pattern associated with distant source long-period swells. AnalysAuthorsR. Hoeke, C. Storlazzi, P. RiddNon-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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