Nathaniel Plant, Ph.D.
I am the Center Director for the Saint Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, where I support scientists working on coastal research topics such as coastal hazards due to storms and sea-level rise; sediment availability and distribution; and response of coastal communities, wetlands, corals, and microbial ecosystems to extreme events and persistent changes to our coastal environment.
I have served in this capacity since October 2018, initially in an acting capacity and permanently since April 2019.
Prior to becoming Center Director, my role with the USGS was as an oceanographer. Past research projects included scientific applications to coastal management, such as assessing storm-induced and long-term coastal erosion or identification of future nesting habitat for endangered shore bird species. Throughout my research career, I have lived in a range of coastal communities in California, Mississippi, and Florida, as well as the Netherlands, and the Washington, DC area. I received my Ph.D. in Marine Geology from Oregon State University’s Oceanography program in 1998.
Science and Products
Land-cover types, shoreline positions, and sand extents derived From Landsat satellite imagery, Assateague Island to Metompkin Island, Maryland and Virginia, 1984 to 2014
Using a Bayesian network to predict barrier island geomorphologic characteristics
Archive of bathymetry data collected at Cape Canaveral, Florida, 2014
Analysis of bathymetric surveys to identify coastal vulnerabilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida
Modelling multi-hazard hurricane damages on an urbanized coast with a Bayesian Network approach
How well can wave runup be predicted? comment on Laudier et al. (2011) and Stockdon et al. (2006)
Morphodynamic data assimilation used to understand changing coasts
Nearshore dynamics of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Field observations of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Changes in erosion and flooding risk due to long-term and cyclic oceanographic trends
Evaluating coastal landscape response to sea-level rise in the northeastern United States: approach and methods
The future of nearshore processes research
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 20
- Data
Filter Total Items: 17No Result Found
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 91
Land-cover types, shoreline positions, and sand extents derived From Landsat satellite imagery, Assateague Island to Metompkin Island, Maryland and Virginia, 1984 to 2014
The U.S. Geological Survey has a long history of responding to and documenting the impacts of storms along the Nation’s coasts and incorporating these data into storm impact and coastal change vulnerability assessments. These studies, however, have traditionally focused on sandy shorelines and sandy barrier-island systems, without consideration of impacts to coastal wetlands. The goal of the BarriAuthorsJulie Bernier, Steven H. Douglas, Joseph F. Terrano, John A. Barras, Nathaniel G. Plant, Christopher G. SmithUsing a Bayesian network to predict barrier island geomorphologic characteristics
Quantifying geomorphic variability of coastal environments is important for understanding and describing the vulnerability of coastal topography, infrastructure, and ecosystems to future storms and sea level rise. Here we use a Bayesian network (BN) to test the importance of multiple interactions between barrier island geomorphic variables. This approach models complex interactions and handles uncAuthorsBenjamin T. Gutierrez, Nathaniel G. Plant, E. Robert Thieler, Aaron TurecekArchive of bathymetry data collected at Cape Canaveral, Florida, 2014
Remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of the sea floor, acquired by boat- and aircraft-based survey systems, were produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida, for the area at Cape Canaveral. The work was conducted as part of a study to describe an updated bathymetric dataset collected in 2014 aAuthorsMark E. Hansen, Nathaniel G. Plant, David M. Thompson, Rodolfo J. Troche, Christine J. Kranenburg, Emily S. KlippAnalysis of bathymetric surveys to identify coastal vulnerabilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral, Florida, is a prominent feature along the Southeast U.S. coastline. The region includes Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and a large portion of Canaveral National Seashore. The actual promontory of the modern Cape falls within the jurisdictional boundaries of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Erosion hazards resAuthorsDavid M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant, Mark E. HansenModelling multi-hazard hurricane damages on an urbanized coast with a Bayesian Network approach
Hurricane flood impacts to residential buildings in coastal zones are caused by a number of hazards, such as inundation, overflow currents, erosion, and wave attack. However, traditional hurricane damage models typically make use of stage-damage functions, where the stage is related to flooding depth only. Moreover, these models are deterministic and do not consider the large amount of uncertaintyAuthorsH.C.W. van Verseveld, A. R. Van Dongeren, Nathaniel G. Plant, W.S. Jäger, C. den HeijerHow well can wave runup be predicted? comment on Laudier et al. (2011) and Stockdon et al. (2006)
Laudier et al. (2011) suggested that there may be a systematic bias error in runup predictions using a model developed by Stockdon et al. (2006). Laudier et al. tested cases that sampled beach and wave conditions that differed from those used to develop the Stockdon et al. model. Based on our re-analysis, we found that in two of the three Laudier et al. cases observed overtopping was actually consAuthorsNathaniel G. Plant, Hilary F. StockdonMorphodynamic data assimilation used to understand changing coasts
Morphodynamic data assimilation blends observations with model predictions and comes in many forms, including linear regression, Kalman filter, brute-force parameter estimation, variational assimilation, and Bayesian analysis. Importantly, data assimilation can be used to identify sources of prediction errors that lead to improved fundamental understanding. Overall, models incorporating data assimAuthorsNathaniel G. Plant, Joseph W. LongNearshore dynamics of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Weathered oil can mix with sediment to form heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs) that can cause beach re-oiling for years after a spill. Few studies have focused on the physical dynamics of SOAs. In this study, artificial SOAs (aSOAs) were created and deployed in the nearshore, and shear stress-based mobility formulations were assessed to predict SOA response. Prediction sensitivityAuthorsP. Soupy Dalyander, Nathaniel G. Plant, Joseph W. Long, Molly R. McLaughlinField observations of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Oil that comes into the surf zone following spills, such as occurred during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout, can mix with local sediment to form heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs), at times in the form of mats a few centimeters thick and tens of meters long. Smaller agglomerates that form in situ or pieces that break off of larger mats, sometimes referred to as surface reAuthorsPatricia (Soupy) Dalyander, Joseph W. Long, Nathaniel G. Plant, Molly R. McLaughlin, Rangley C. MickeyChanges in erosion and flooding risk due to long-term and cyclic oceanographic trends
We assess temporal variations in waves and sea level, which are driving factors for beach erosion and coastal flooding in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We find that long-term trends in the relevant variables have caused an increase of ~30% in the erosion/flooding risk since the 1980s. Changes in the wave climate—which have often been ignored in earlier assessments—were at least as important as seaAuthorsThomas Wahl, Nathaniel G. PlantEvaluating coastal landscape response to sea-level rise in the northeastern United States: approach and methods
The U.S. Geological Survey is examining effects of future sea-level rise on the coastal landscape from Maine to Virginia by producing spatially explicit, probabilistic predictions using sea-level projections, vertical land movement rates (due to isostacy), elevation data, and land-cover data. Sea-level-rise scenarios used as model inputs are generated by using multiple sources of information, inclAuthorsErika E. Lentz, Sawyer R. Stippa, E. Robert Thieler, Nathaniel G. Plant, Dean B. Gesch, Radley M. HortonThe future of nearshore processes research
The nearshore is the transition region between land and the continental shelf including (from onshore to offshore) coastal plains, wetlands, estuaries, coastal cliffs, dunes, beaches, surf zones (regions of wave breaking), and the inner shelf (Figure ES-1). Nearshore regions are vital to the national economy, security, commerce, and recreation. The nearshore is dynamically evolving, is often dense - Software
- News