Rob Thieler, PhD

From 2017-2024, Rob served as Center Director of the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, one of three centers serving the mission of the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, the primary Federal program for marine geology and physical science. He was responsible for all aspects of leadership, operations, and management of the Center’s staff of about 100 who conduct scientific research throughout the United States and internationally to describe and understand the processes shaping marine and coastal systems, from the deep sea to the continental shelf, to beaches, salt marshes, and the Great Lakes. 

As a research scientist from 1997–2017, Rob conducted studies of coastal change hazards, continental shelf geologic processes, and coastal evolution, including understanding relationships among geology, sediment transport, sea-level change, and coastal erosion. He conducted assessments of coastal vulnerability for the U.S. and locations worldwide, including the effects of sea-level change. Rob served as a Lead Author of a U.S. Global Change Research Program report addressing potential impacts of sea-level rise and worked with numerous federal and state agencies to address coastal change hazards. He also studied habitat use and availability for beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds. Rob developed the widely used Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software package for measuring coastal erosion and accretion and also developed smartphone applications for coastal science.