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Robert D Bales

(He/him)

Robert Bales is an Oceanographer with the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. He works in the Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Group.

I work in operations for the Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Group. I specialize in collecting, processing, and publishing oceanographic and water quality data from coastal and estuarine environments.

Professional Experience

  • US Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA Oceanographer 2021-present

  • Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA Graduate Research Assistant 2018 – 2020

Education and Certifications

  • 2020, M.S. Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University

  • 2016, B.S. Geology and Environmental Studies, University of Tennessee

Science and Products

link
lots of colorful bags and equipment on the beach as two men look on

DUNEX Pea Island Experiment

The DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) is an aggregation of multiple scientific organizations collaborating to increase understanding of nearshore processes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has chosen Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge as a study location to investigate and characterize the magnitude and timing of changes to coastal morphology (i.e., dunes, shorelines), bathymetry, and...
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
link

DUNEX Pea Island Experiment

The DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) is an aggregation of multiple scientific organizations collaborating to increase understanding of nearshore processes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has chosen Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge as a study location to investigate and characterize the magnitude and timing of changes to coastal morphology (i.e., dunes, shorelines), bathymetry, and...
Learn More

Supplementary data in support of oceanographic and water quality times-series measurements made at Thompsons Beach and Stone Harbor, NJ from September 2018 to February 2023

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeastern US causing devastation among coastal ecosystems. Post-hurricane marsh restoration efforts have included sediment deposition, planting of vegetation, and restoring tidal hydrology. The work presented here is part of a larger project funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to monitor the post-restoration ecological resilience of coa
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Grain-size analysis data of sediment samples from the beach and nearshore environments at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge DUNEX site, North Carolina in 2021

This data release supersedes version 1.0, published in September 2022 at https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XEFRYR. Versioning details are documented in the accompanying revision_history.txt file. These data provide grain-size measurements from sediment samples collected as part of the USGS DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) site on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, NC. DUNEX is a multi-agency,
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Time-series measurements of oceanographic and water quality data collected at Thompsons Beach and Stone Harbor, New Jersey, USA, September 2018 to September 2019 and March 2022 to May 2023

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the Northeastern U.S., affecting ecosystems and communities of 12 states. In response, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) implemented the Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Program, which funded various projects designed to reduce future impacts of coastal hazards. These projects included mars
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Time-series measurements of oceanographic and water quality data collected in the Herring River, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, USA, November 2018 to November 2019

Restoration in the tidally restricted Herring River Estuary in Wellfleet, MA benefits from understanding pre-restoration sediment transport conditions. Submerged sensors were deployed at four sites landward and seaward of the Herring River restriction to measure water velocity, water quality, water level, waves, and seabed elevation. These data will be used to evaluate sediment dynamics and geomor
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Grain-size analysis data of sediment samples from the beach and nearshore environments at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge DUNEX site, North Carolina in 2021

These data provide grain-size measurements from sediment samples collected as part of the USGS DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) site on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, NC. DUNEX is a multi-agency, academic, and non-governmental organization collaborative community experiment designed to study nearshore coastal processes during storm events. USGS participation in DUNEX will contribute
By
Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Calculation of a suspended-sediment concentration-turbidity regression model and flood-ebb suspended-sediment concentration differentials from marshes near Stone Harbor and Thompsons Beach, New Jersey, 2018–19 and 2022–23

The U.S. Geological Survey collected water velocity and water quality data from salt marshes in Great Channel, southwest of Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and near Thompsons Beach, New Jersey, to evaluate restoration effectiveness after Hurricane Sandy and monitor postrestoration marsh health. Time series data of turbidity and water velocity were collected from 2018 to 2019 and 2022 to 2023 at both sit
Authors
Olivia A. De Meo, Robert D. Bales, Neil K. Ganju, Eric D. Marsjanik, Steven E. Suttles
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Calibrating optical turbidity measurements with suspended-sediment concentrations from the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, from November 2018 to November 2019

The sediment budget in the tidally restricted Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, must be quantified so restoration options for the river can be evaluated. Platforms equipped with optical turbidity sensors were deployed seaward and landward of the Herring River restriction to measure a time series of turbidity, from which a time series of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) can be estima
Authors
Olivia A. De Meo, Neil K. Ganju, Robert D. Bales, Eric D. Marsjanik, Steven E. Suttles
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Science and Products

link
lots of colorful bags and equipment on the beach as two men look on

DUNEX Pea Island Experiment

The DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) is an aggregation of multiple scientific organizations collaborating to increase understanding of nearshore processes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has chosen Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge as a study location to investigate and characterize the magnitude and timing of changes to coastal morphology (i.e., dunes, shorelines), bathymetry, and...
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
link

DUNEX Pea Island Experiment

The DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) is an aggregation of multiple scientific organizations collaborating to increase understanding of nearshore processes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has chosen Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge as a study location to investigate and characterize the magnitude and timing of changes to coastal morphology (i.e., dunes, shorelines), bathymetry, and...
Learn More

Supplementary data in support of oceanographic and water quality times-series measurements made at Thompsons Beach and Stone Harbor, NJ from September 2018 to February 2023

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeastern US causing devastation among coastal ecosystems. Post-hurricane marsh restoration efforts have included sediment deposition, planting of vegetation, and restoring tidal hydrology. The work presented here is part of a larger project funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to monitor the post-restoration ecological resilience of coa
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Grain-size analysis data of sediment samples from the beach and nearshore environments at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge DUNEX site, North Carolina in 2021

This data release supersedes version 1.0, published in September 2022 at https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XEFRYR. Versioning details are documented in the accompanying revision_history.txt file. These data provide grain-size measurements from sediment samples collected as part of the USGS DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) site on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, NC. DUNEX is a multi-agency,
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Time-series measurements of oceanographic and water quality data collected at Thompsons Beach and Stone Harbor, New Jersey, USA, September 2018 to September 2019 and March 2022 to May 2023

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the Northeastern U.S., affecting ecosystems and communities of 12 states. In response, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) implemented the Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Program, which funded various projects designed to reduce future impacts of coastal hazards. These projects included mars
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Time-series measurements of oceanographic and water quality data collected in the Herring River, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, USA, November 2018 to November 2019

Restoration in the tidally restricted Herring River Estuary in Wellfleet, MA benefits from understanding pre-restoration sediment transport conditions. Submerged sensors were deployed at four sites landward and seaward of the Herring River restriction to measure water velocity, water quality, water level, waves, and seabed elevation. These data will be used to evaluate sediment dynamics and geomor
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Grain-size analysis data of sediment samples from the beach and nearshore environments at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge DUNEX site, North Carolina in 2021

These data provide grain-size measurements from sediment samples collected as part of the USGS DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) site on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, NC. DUNEX is a multi-agency, academic, and non-governmental organization collaborative community experiment designed to study nearshore coastal processes during storm events. USGS participation in DUNEX will contribute
By
Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Calculation of a suspended-sediment concentration-turbidity regression model and flood-ebb suspended-sediment concentration differentials from marshes near Stone Harbor and Thompsons Beach, New Jersey, 2018–19 and 2022–23

The U.S. Geological Survey collected water velocity and water quality data from salt marshes in Great Channel, southwest of Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and near Thompsons Beach, New Jersey, to evaluate restoration effectiveness after Hurricane Sandy and monitor postrestoration marsh health. Time series data of turbidity and water velocity were collected from 2018 to 2019 and 2022 to 2023 at both sit
Authors
Olivia A. De Meo, Robert D. Bales, Neil K. Ganju, Eric D. Marsjanik, Steven E. Suttles
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Calibrating optical turbidity measurements with suspended-sediment concentrations from the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, from November 2018 to November 2019

The sediment budget in the tidally restricted Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, must be quantified so restoration options for the river can be evaluated. Platforms equipped with optical turbidity sensors were deployed seaward and landward of the Herring River restriction to measure a time series of turbidity, from which a time series of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) can be estima
Authors
Olivia A. De Meo, Neil K. Ganju, Robert D. Bales, Eric D. Marsjanik, Steven E. Suttles
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center