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Kimberly Yates, Ph.D.

Dr. Kimberly Yates is a senior research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Center for Coastal and Marine Science (SPCMSC). 

Dr. Yates is also a member of the U.S. Interagency Work Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA), the Executive and founding Steering Committees of the Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network (SOCAN), and served as Co-Chair of the Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry – Ocean Acidification Subcommittee (OCB-OA). She specializes in integrated science studies that examine how changes in coastal ecosystem processes may impact or mitigate risks from coastal hazards, using a whole system perspective that considers the interactions and linkages among chemistry, biology and the physical environment. Much of her recent work has focused on how coral reef seafloor erosion changes risks from sea level rise, waves and storms; impacts on coral reefs and estuaries from coastal and ocean acidification; and identifying and characterizing coastal climate change refuges.

Professional Experience

  • Senior Research Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL 2007 – Present

  • Research Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL 1998 – 2007

  • Research Assistant, University of South Florida, Department of Geology 1989 – 1997

Education and Certifications

  • University of South Florida (USF), Honors Program & Geology, B.A., 1992

  • University of South Florida, Geology (Biogeochemistry), Ph.D., 1996

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Executive Committee Member and Steering Committee Member, Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network, 2015-present

  • Committee Member, Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification, National Ocean Science and Technology Subcommittee, 2009-present

  • Co-Chair, Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program – Ocean Acidification Subcommittee, 2011-2016

  • Committee Member, Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network, 2016-present

Science and Products

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Map of a coastal area with areas defining where coral reef damage occurred and the resulting damage estimates.

Quantifying Flood Risk and Reef Risk Reduction Benefits in Florida and Puerto Rico: The Consequences of Hurricane Damage, Long-term Degradation, and Restoration Opportunities

Coastal flooding and erosion from extreme weather events affect thousands of vulnerable coastal communities; the impacts of coastal flooding are predicted to worsen during this century because of population growth and climate change. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 were particularly devasting to humans and natural communities. The coral reefs off the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of...
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Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Quantifying Flood Risk and Reef Risk Reduction Benefits in Florida and Puerto Rico: The Consequences of Hurricane Damage, Long-term Degradation, and Restoration Opportunities

Coastal flooding and erosion from extreme weather events affect thousands of vulnerable coastal communities; the impacts of coastal flooding are predicted to worsen during this century because of population growth and climate change. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 were particularly devasting to humans and natural communities. The coral reefs off the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of...
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Image: Flat Cays, U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Coral Microbial Ecology Laboratory
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Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...
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relationship between biology, chemistry, and physical and environmental processes in understanding ocean acidification

Coral Reef Seafloor Erosion and Coastal Hazards

Synchronized field work focused on geochemistry, geology, and metabolic processes overlaid on a habitat map of an entire reef to produce a synoptic overview of reef processes that contribute to carbonate precipitation and dissolution.
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Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Coral Reef Seafloor Erosion and Coastal Hazards

Synchronized field work focused on geochemistry, geology, and metabolic processes overlaid on a habitat map of an entire reef to produce a synoptic overview of reef processes that contribute to carbonate precipitation and dissolution.
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Submersible Habitat for Analyzing Reef Quality on the seafloor

Coral Reef Community Calcification and Metabolism

This task focuses on forecasting and hind-casting the future and past response of coral reef calcification and growth to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry from pre-industrial time to the year 2100.
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St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Coral Reef Community Calcification and Metabolism

This task focuses on forecasting and hind-casting the future and past response of coral reef calcification and growth to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry from pre-industrial time to the year 2100.
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Overlapping seabed images and location data acquired using the SQUID-5 system at Looe Key, Florida, in July 2021, with structure-from-motion derived point cloud, digital elevation model and orthomosaic of submerged topography

Underwater images were collected using a towed-surface vehicle with multiple downward-looking underwater cameras developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The system is named the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). The raw images and associated navigation data were collected at Looe Key, a coral reef located within the Florida Keys
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Overlapping seabed images and location data acquired using the SQUID-5 system at Eastern Dry Rocks coral reef, Florida, in May 2021, with derived point cloud, digital elevation model and orthomosaic of submerged topography

Underwater images were collected using a towed-surface vehicle with multiple downward-looking underwater cameras developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The system is named the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). The raw images and associated navigation data were collected at Eastern Dry Rocks, a coral reef located within the Flo
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Time Series of Autonomous Carbonate System Parameter Measurements in Middle Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

This data set contains time series measurements of carbonate system parameters including water temperature (degrees C), pressure (dbars), salinity, pHT (pH on the total scale), carbon dioxide (ppm), dissolved oxygen (milligrams/L), and photosynthetically active radiation (microEinsteins). These data were collected in Middle Tampa Bay, Florida, by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Co
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Grain-Size Data from Upper Florida Keys: Crocker Reef, FL

Sediment samples were collected from undisturbed sections of the seafloor around Crocker Reef, Florida which is a senile, degrading barrier reef located in the northern portion of the Florida Reef Tract (Figure 1). Samples were collected from November 2017 to April 2019. The sediment sample locations were near instruments deployed during the same period to record time series of ocean currents, wav
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Seafloor Elevation and Volume Change Analyses from 2016 to 2019 Along the Florida Reef Tract, USA

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted research to quantify bathymetric changes along the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) from Miami to Key West within a 939.4 square-kilometer area. USGS staff calculated changes in seafloor elevation and volume from 2016 to 2019 using light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) acquire
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Flooding extent polygons for modelled wave-driven water levels in Florida with and without projected coral reef degradation

This data release presents projected flooding extent polygon (flood masks) shapefiles based on wave-driven total water levels for the State Florida (the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys). There are 12 associated flood mask shapefiles: one for each of four nearshore wave energy return periods (rp; 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-years), the current scenario (base) and each of the degradation scenario
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Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Upper Florida Keys 1930s-2002 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the 1930s and 2002 in the Upper Florida Keys (UFK) from Triumph Reef to Pickles Reef within a 234.2 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Looe Key, Florida, 2016-2017 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 2016 and 2017 at Looe Key coral reef near Big Pine Key, Florida, within a 19.74 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and oth
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Crocker Reef, Florida, 2016-2017 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 2016 and 2017 at Crocker Reef near Islamorada, Florida, within a 33.62 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and others (2019
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Crocker Reef, Florida, 2017-2018 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 2017 and 2018 at Crocker Reef near Islamorada, Florida, within a 6.11 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and others (2019)
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Florida Reef Tract 1930s-2016 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the 1930s and 2016 along the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) from Miami to Key West within a 982.4 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and othe
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Looe Key, Florida, 1938-2004 Seafloor Elevation Stability Models, Maps, and Tables

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 1938 and 2004 at Looe Key coral reef near Big Pine Key, Florida, within a 19.06 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and oth
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Three USGS scientists sit on the back of a research vessel and prepare for a dive. link
Three USGS scientists sit on the back of a research vessel and prepare for a dive. link
A scientist on the back of the R/V Sallenger tows the SQUID-5 system behind the boat.
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a green and white research boat on the water towing an object with two yellow pontoons
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Infographic: Studying Seafloor Erosion in the Florida Keys. Images of 3D map of coral reef and floating mapping equipment
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Elkhorn coral has died and turned to rubble.
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Image: Mangrove Coral Site
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Image: Mangrove Coral Site
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Image: Light Meter near Mangrove Corals
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Filter Total Items: 52

Ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico: Drivers, impacts, and unknowns

Ocean acidification (OA) has resulted in global-scale changes in ocean chemistry, which can disturb marine organisms and ecosystems. Despite its extensively populated coastline, many marine-dependent communities, and valuable economies, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) remains a relatively understudied region with respect to acidification. In general, the warm waters of the GOM are better buffered from ac
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St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Subsampling large-scale digital elevation models to expedite geospatial analyses in coastal regions

Large-area, high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) created from light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and/or multibeam echosounder data sets are commonly used in many scientific disciplines. These DEMs can span thousands of square kilometers, typically with a spatial resolution of 1 m or finer, and can be difficult to process and analyze without specialized computers and software. Such DEMs
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St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for hard corals

The Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) is chartered by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST). The purpose of the IOOC is to advise, assist, and make recommendations to the SOST on matters related to ocean observations via task teams such as the Biology - Integrating Core to Essential Variables (Bio-ICE) task t
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Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rigorously valuing the impact of projected coral reef degradation on coastal hazard risk in Florida

The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. In the United States, the physical protective services provided by coral reefs were recently assessed, in social and economic terms, with the annual protection provided by U.S. coral reefs off the coast of the State of Florida estimated to be more than
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Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Integrating high-resolution coastal acidification monitoring data across seven United States estuaries

Beginning in 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Estuary Program (NEP) started a collaboration with partners in seven estuaries along the East Coast (Barnegat Bay; Casco Bay), West Coast (Santa Monica Bay; San Francisco Bay; Tillamook Bay), and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Coast (Tampa Bay; Mission-Aransas Estuary) of the United States to expand the use of autono
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St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Measuring coastal acidification using in situ sensors in the National Estuary Program

Estuaries and coastal areas are highly vulnerable to the impacts of acidification on shellfish, coral reefs, fisheries, and the commercial and recreational industries that they support. Yet, little is known about the extent of this vulnerability and the estuary-specific drivers that contribute to acidification, such as nutrient enrichment from stormwater, agriculture and wastewater discharges, upw
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Underwater photographic reconnaissance and habitat data collection in the Florida Keys—A procedure for ground truthing remotely sensed bathymetric data

Bathymetric geoprocessing analyses of the Florida Reef Tract have provided insights into trends of seafloor accretion and seafloor erosion over time and following major storm events. However, bathymetric surveys sometimes capture manmade structures and vegetation, which do not represent the desired bare-earth data. Therefore, ground truthing is essential to maintain the most accurate bathymetric d
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Identifying mangrove-coral habitats in the Florida Keys

Coral reefs are degrading due to many synergistic stressors. Recently there have been a number of global reports of corals occupying mangrove habitats that provide a supportive environment or refugium for corals, sheltering them by reducing stressors such as oxidative light stress and low pH. This study used satellite imagery and manual ground-truthing surveys to search for mangrove-coral habitats
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Acidification in the U.S. Southeast: Causes, potential consequences and the role of the Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network

Coastal acidification in southeastern U.S. estuaries and coastal waters is influenced by biological activity, run-off from the land, and increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Acidification can negatively impact coastal resources such as shellfish, finfish, and coral reefs, and the communities that rely on them. Organismal responses for species located in the U.S. Southeast document large ne
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Accurate bathymetric maps from underwater digital imagery without ground control

Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry can be used with digital underwater photographs to generate high-resolution bathymetry and orthomosaics with millimeter-to-centimeter scale resolution at relatively low cost. Although these products are useful for assessing species diversity and health, they have additional utility for quantifying benthic community structure, such as coral growth and fine
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Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Tampa Bay Ocean and Coastal Acidification Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan

Coastal acidification caused by eutrophication, freshwater inflow, and upwelling is already affecting many estuaries worldwide and can be exacerbated by ocean acidification that is caused by increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Effective management, mitigation, and (or) adaptation to the effects of coastal and ocean acidification require careful monitoring of the resulting changes in seawa
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Hydrodynamics and sediment mobility processes over a degraded senile coral reef

Coral reefs can influence hydrodynamics and morphodynamics by dissipating and refracting incident wave energy, modifying circulation patterns, and altering sediment transport pathways. In this study, the sediment and hydrodynamic response of a senile (dead) barrier reef (Crocker Reef, located in the upper portion of the Florida Reef Tract) to storms and quiescent conditions was evaluated using fie

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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Multi-grid Analysis of Point Stability Tool

Elevation-change datasets can also be used to identify stable and unstable areas of the seafloor. The Multi-grid Analysis of Point Stability (MAPS) program was created to automate this process. This program is used to locate persistent areas of user-defined seafloor stability and/or instability at common geographic locations from multiple elevation-change datasets (grids) representing different ti
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
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USGS participated in the first global assessment of oxygen loss on coral reefs

An international team of researchers, led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, including USGS Research Oceanographer Dr. Kim Yates...

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Tampa Bay coastal acidification research featured in EPA National Estuary Program report

Tampa Bay coastal acidification research conducted by Dr. Kim Yates of SPCMSC was highlighted in the latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...

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New USGS technology provides three dimensional benefits: assessing coastal hazards, seafloor stability, and coral restoration efforts

USGS team invented a new camera system to create highly detailed 3-dimensional models of the seafloor that are proving to be invaluable for coastal...

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Coral-reef research featured in Science Magazine news article

A news feature published last week in Science Magazine highlights research by SPCMSC scientists into the problem of reef erosion in the Florida Keys.

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Seafloor Erosion in Coral Reef Ecosystems Leaves Coastal Communities at Risk

A new USGS study of changing sea depths at five large coral reef tracts in Florida, the Caribbean, and Hawai'i, found the seafloor is eroding in all...

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Sea Floor Erosion in Coral Reef Ecosystems Leaves Coastal Communities at Risk

In the first ecosystem-wide study of changing sea depths at five large coral reef tracts in Florida, the Caribbean and Hawai’i, U.S. Geological Survey...

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Science and Products

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government