Renee Takesue
Research Geologist with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
I grew up exploring tide pools and visiting family who threw nets to catch reef fish and harvested ʻopihi. This close connection with the ocean from an early age shaped my path to become a marine scientist. My degrees in oceanography taught me to use physical sciences to understand influences on coastal resources. I study land-to-sea runoff of sediment and contaminants driven by both natural processes and human activities and their effects on coastal communities. My studies span a wide range of topics – urban contaminants in nearshore food webs, wildfire contaminants entering coastal streams and biota, post-hurricane mass wasting to coral reefs, and blue carbon burial in seagrass beds. Insights about how these systems function help decision-makers balance the needs of society and well-functioning ecosystems that provide resources, reduce risks from climate change, and improve human well-being.
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, USGS Volcano Hazards Program
Graduate Fellow, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Columbia University, Chemical Oceanography
B.S., Cal Poly Humboldt, Geological Oceanography
Science and Products
Geochemical sourcing of runoff from a young volcanic watershed to an impacted coral reef in Pelekane Bay, Hawaii
Tracking riverborne sediment and contaminants in Commencement Bay, Washington, using geochemical signatures
Sources and dispersal of land-based runoff from small Hawaiian drainages to a coral reef: Insights from geochemical signatures
Environmental and eelgrass response to dike removal: Nisqually River Delta (2010–14)
Eelgrass habitat near Liberty Bay: Chapter 5
Sediment geochemistry of Corte Madera Marsh, San Francisco Bay, California: have local inputs changed, 1830-2010?
Integration of bed characteristics, geochemical tracers, current measurements, and numerical modeling for assessing the provenance of beach sand in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System
Over 150 million m3 of sand-sized sediment has disappeared from the central region of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System during the last half century. This enormous loss may reflect numerous anthropogenic influences, such as watershed damming, bay-fill development, aggregate mining, and dredging. The reduction in Bay sediment also appears to be linked to a reduction in sediment supply and recent
Arrival and expansion of the invasive foraminifera Trochammina hadai Uchio in Padilla Bay, Washington
Hydrography of and biogeochemical inputs to Liberty Bay, a small urban embayment in Puget Sound, Washington
More than 100 Years of Background-Level Sedimentary Metals, Nisqually River Delta, South Puget Sound, Washington
Extended abstracts from the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) 2006 Workshop
Sources of land-derived runoff to a coral reef-fringed embayment identified using geochemical tracers in nearshore sediment traps
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Geochemical sourcing of runoff from a young volcanic watershed to an impacted coral reef in Pelekane Bay, Hawaii
Runoff of sediment and other contaminants from developed watersheds threatens coastal ecosystems and services. A sediment geochemical sourcing study was undertaken on a sediment-impacted coral reef flat to identify terrestrial sediment sources and how these changed over time. Geochemical signatures were identified for watershed soils that formed on Hawaiian basaltic and alkalic lavas using relativAuthorsRenee K. Takesue, Curt D. StorlazziTracking riverborne sediment and contaminants in Commencement Bay, Washington, using geochemical signatures
Large rivers carry terrestrial sediment, contaminants, and other materials to the coastal zone where they can affect marine biogeochemical cycles and ecosystems. This U.S. Geological Survey study combined river and marine sediment geochemistry and organic contaminant analyses to identify riverborne sediment and associated contaminants at shoreline sites in Commencement Bay, Puget Sound, WashingtonAuthorsRenee K. Takesue, Kathleen E. Conn, Richard S. DinicolaSources and dispersal of land-based runoff from small Hawaiian drainages to a coral reef: Insights from geochemical signatures
Land-based sediment and contaminant runoff is a major threat to coral reefs, and runoff reduction efforts would benefit from knowledge of specific runoff sources. Geochemical signatures of small drainage basins were determined in the fine fraction of soil and sediment, then used in the nearshore region of a coral reef-fringed urban embayment on southeast Oahu, Hawaii, to describe sources and dispeAuthorsRenee K. Takesue, Curt D. StorlazziEnvironmental and eelgrass response to dike removal: Nisqually River Delta (2010–14)
Restoration of tidal flows to formerly diked marshland can alter land-to-sea fluxes and patterns of accumulation of terrestrial sediment and organic matter, and these tidal flows can also affect existing nearshore habitats. Dikes were removed from 308 hectares (ha) of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on the Nisqually River Delta in south Puget Sound, Washington, in fall 2009 to improve habitAuthorsRenee K. TakesueEelgrass habitat near Liberty Bay: Chapter 5
Seagrasses are a widespread type of marine flowering plants that grow in nearshore intertidal and subtidal zones. Seagrass beds are ecologically important because they affect physical, biological, and chemical characteristics of nearshore habitat, and they are sensitive to changes in coastal water quality (Stevenson and others, 1993; Koch, 2001; Martinez-Crego and others, 2008). Zostera marina, coAuthorsRichard S. DinicolaSediment geochemistry of Corte Madera Marsh, San Francisco Bay, California: have local inputs changed, 1830-2010?
Large perturbations since the mid-1800s to the supply and source of sediment entering San Francisco Bay have disturbed natural processes for more than 150 years. Only recently have sediment inputs through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta) decreased to what might be considered pre-disturbance levels. Declining sediment inputs to San Francisco Bay raise concern about continued tidal marshAuthorsRenee K. Takesue, Bruce E. JaffeIntegration of bed characteristics, geochemical tracers, current measurements, and numerical modeling for assessing the provenance of beach sand in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System
Over 150 million m3 of sand-sized sediment has disappeared from the central region of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System during the last half century. This enormous loss may reflect numerous anthropogenic influences, such as watershed damming, bay-fill development, aggregate mining, and dredging. The reduction in Bay sediment also appears to be linked to a reduction in sediment supply and recent
AuthorsPatrick L. Barnard, Amy C. Foxgrover, Edwin P.L. Elias, Li H. Erikson, James R. Hein, Mary McGann, Kira Mizell, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Peter W. Swarzenski, Renee K. Takesue, Florence L. Wong, Don WoodrowArrival and expansion of the invasive foraminifera Trochammina hadai Uchio in Padilla Bay, Washington
Trochammina hadai Uchio, a benthic foraminifera native to Japanese estuaries, was first identified as an invasive in 1995 in San Francisco Bay and later in 16 other west coast estuaries. To investigate the timing of the arrival and expansion of this invasive species in Padilla Bay, Washington, we analyzed the distribution of foraminifera in two surface samples collected in 1971, in nine surface saAuthorsMary McGann, Eric E. Grossman, Renee K. Takesue, Dan Penttila, John P. Walsh, Reide CorbettHydrography of and biogeochemical inputs to Liberty Bay, a small urban embayment in Puget Sound, Washington
This multi-chapter report describes scientific and logistic understanding gained from a 2 year proof-of-concept study in Liberty Bay, a small urban embayment in central Puget Sound, Washington. The introductory chapter describes the regional and local setting, the high-level study goals, the site-specific urban stressors, and the interdisciplinary study approach. Subsequent data chapters describeAuthorsRenee K. TakesueMore than 100 Years of Background-Level Sedimentary Metals, Nisqually River Delta, South Puget Sound, Washington
The Nisqually River Delta is located about 25 km south of the Tacoma Narrows in the southern reach of Puget Sound. Delta evolution is controlled by sedimentation from the Nisqually River and erosion by strong tidal currents that may reach 0.95 m/s in the Nisqually Reach. The Nisqually River flows 116 km from the Cascade Range, including the slopes of Mount Rainier, through glacially carved valleysAuthorsRenee K. Takesue, Peter W. SwarzenskiExtended abstracts from the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) 2006 Workshop
Puget Sound is the second largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to a significant growth in human population and associated development. This population growth, and the accompanying rural and urbSources of land-derived runoff to a coral reef-fringed embayment identified using geochemical tracers in nearshore sediment traps
Geochemical tracers, including Ba, Co, Th, 7Be, 137Cs and 210Pb, and magnetic properties were used to characterize terrestrial runoff collected in nearshore time-series sediment traps in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, during flood and dry conditions in summer 2006, and to fingerprint possible runoff sources in the lower watershed. In combination, the tracers indicate that runoff during a flood in August coulAuthorsRenee K. Takesue, Michael H. Bothner, Richard L. Reynolds - News