Steve Suttles is a Mechanical Engineer with the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Group.
Science and Products
DUNEX Hazards at Pea Island
DUNEX Pea Island Experiment
Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project
Coastal Model Applications and Field Measurements
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics- Projects
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics - Engineering
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics- Equipment
Estuarine Processes Eutrophication
Water quality data from a multiparameter sonde collected in the Herring River during November 2018 to November 2019 in Wellfleet, MA
Time-series measurements of oceanographic and water quality data collected in the Herring River, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, USA, November 2018 to November 2019
Meteorological data from Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina, 9/13/2021 to 10/24/2021
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
Suspended-sediment concentrations and loss-on-ignition from water samples collected in the Herring River during 2018-19 in Wellfleet, MA (ver 1.1, March 2023)
Discharge measurements made in Bayou Heron and Bayou Middle, Grand Bay, Mississippi in January 2017
Grain-Size Analysis Data From Sediment Samples in Support of Oceanographic and Water-Quality Measurements in the Nearshore Zone of Matanzas Inlet, Florida, 2018
Suspended-sediment concentration data from water samples collected in 2016-17 in Grand Bay, Alabama and Mississippi
Geotagged Low-Altitude Aerial Imagery from Unmanned Aerial Systems Flights over Town Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, With Associated Ground Control Points, and Transects, Collected on January 9, January 25, February 14, March 16, April 28, May 4, a
Water level measurements collected in West Falmouth Harbor, MA, 2016: U.S. Geological Survey data release
Water level measurements collected in West Falmouth Harbor, MA, 2017
Water samples in support of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014-15, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2014-048-FA
Calibrating optical turbidity measurements with suspended-sediment concentrations from the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, from November 2018 to November 2019
State of the science and decision support for measuring suspended sediment with acoustic instrumentation
Shoaling wave shape estimates from field observations and derived bedload sediment rates
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements offshore of Matanzas Inlet, Florida, 2018
Spatiotemporal variability of light attenuation and net ecosystem metabolism in a back-barrier estuary
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, 2014–15
Quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in a back-barrier estuary
Colored dissolved organic matter in shallow estuaries: relationships between carbon sources and light attenuation
Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic time-series measurement database
U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic Time-Series Data Collection
Oceanographic time-series measurements made by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1975 and the present as part of research programs. The data were collected to address specific research questions and were primarily collected over durations less than a year, using stationary platforms, with sensors near the sea floor. These data have been used to study of ocean dynamics and to validate ocean models
Science and Products
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DUNEX Hazards at Pea Island
DANGER! INSTRUMENTS IN THE WATER AT PEA ISLAND!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...Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems
Estuarine processes, hazards, and ecosystems describes several interdisciplinary projects that aim to quantify and understand estuarine processes through observations and numerical modeling. Both the spatial and temporal scales of these mechanisms are important, and therefore require modern instrumentation and state-of-the-art hydrodynamic models. These projects are led from the U.S. Geological...Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project exists to support ocean, coastal and estuarine research. The staff have a broad set of skills; from instrument design and development to all forms of work at sea to software development and data management. The team has successfully deployed and recovered more than 1000 data collection platforms for research in the last 30 years.Coastal Model Applications and Field Measurements
Numerical models are used by scientists, engineers, coastal managers, and the public to understand and predict processes in the coastal ocean. This project supports the development and application of open-source coastal models and has several objectives: 1) improve the code of numerical sediment-transport models by implementing new or improved algorithms; 2) obtain measurements of coastal ocean...Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics- Projects
Field experiments carried out by the Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project include observations offshore of barrier islands and headlands; observations on barrier islands; observations in estuaries; observations in shelf environments; and process studies of sediment transport in the bottom boundary layer. Experiments typically involved deployment of an array of a variety of instrument systems for...Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics - Engineering
The Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project primarily uses off-the-shelf instrumentation and sensors to collect observations. Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics team designs and implements novel configurations for logging of data from sensors, and for deployment of these instruments in a wide range of estuarine, coastal, and ocean environments. Project staff continually evaluates instrument and sensor...Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics- Equipment
The Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project maintains an extensive and diverse inventory of instruments for measuring oceanographic parameters in-situ over long periods of time (a few days to as long as one year) and platforms on which to deploy the instruments in estuarine, coastal, and deep ocean environments. These instruments measure a wide variety of parameters relevant to studies of sediment...Estuarine Processes Eutrophication
Increased loadings of nutrients to estuaries have altered ecosystem function by encouraging growth of phytoplankton and macroalgae while inducing large swings in dissolved oxygen and threatening the sustainability of seagrass meadows. We are measuring and modeling these processes to understand the future trajectory of estuarine ecosystems. - Data
Water quality data from a multiparameter sonde collected in the Herring River during November 2018 to November 2019 in Wellfleet, MA
Management efforts of the tidally-restricted Herring River in Wellfleet, MA include research to understand pre-restoration sediment conditions. Submerged multiparameter sondes that measure optical turbidity were deployed at four sites landward and seaward of the Herring River restriction. Periodically, the sites were visited and additional turbidity measurements were collected with a handheld multTime-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 geomorMeteorological data from Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina, 9/13/2021 to 10/24/2021
Meteorological data were collected as part of the DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina during 2021. The DUNEX project is a collaborative, multi-agency experiment designed to provide comprehensive measurements of storm-induced processes on coastal habitats. The overarching goals of this study are to understand oceanographic processes andGrain-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 contributeSuspended-sediment concentrations and loss-on-ignition from water samples collected in the Herring River during 2018-19 in Wellfleet, MA (ver 1.1, March 2023)
The Herring River in Wellfleet, MA is a tidally-restricted estuary system. Management options including potential restoration of unrestricted tidal flows require an understanding of pre-restoration sediment conditions. Altering future tidal flows may cause changes in net sediment flux and direction, which could affect marsh restoration and aquaculture in Wellfleet Harbor. This research aims to meaDischarge measurements made in Bayou Heron and Bayou Middle, Grand Bay, Mississippi in January 2017
Grand Bay, a 30-square-kilometer embayment of the Gulf of Mexico bordered by 20 square kilometers of salt marsh, is experiencing rapid lateral shoreline erosion at up to 5 meters per year. Determining whether the eroded sediment is exported to the deep ocean or imported via tidal channels and deposited on the marsh platform is critical to understanding the long-term response of the marsh to wave aGrain-Size Analysis Data From Sediment Samples in Support of Oceanographic and Water-Quality Measurements in the Nearshore Zone of Matanzas Inlet, Florida, 2018
The interactions of waves and currents near an inlet influence sediment and alter sea-floor bedforms, especially during winter storms. As part of the Cross-Shore and Inlets Processes project to improve our understanding of cross-shore processes that control sediment budgets, the U.S. Geological Survey deployed instrumented platforms at two sites near Matanzas Inlet between January 24 and April 13,Suspended-sediment concentration data from water samples collected in 2016-17 in Grand Bay, Alabama and Mississippi
Suspended-sediment transport is a critical element governing the geomorphology of tidal marshes and estuaries. Marsh elevation, relative to sea level, is maintained by both organic material and the deposition of inorganic sediment. Additionally, horizontal marsh extent is altered by lateral erosion and accretion. In wetlands within and near Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, parts of tGeotagged Low-Altitude Aerial Imagery from Unmanned Aerial Systems Flights over Town Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, With Associated Ground Control Points, and Transects, Collected on January 9, January 25, February 14, March 16, April 28, May 4, a
Low-altitude (80-100 meters above ground level) digital images of Town Neck Beach in Sandwich, Massachusetts, were obtained from a camera mounted on a small unmanned aerial system (UAS; also known as a drone). Imagery was collected at close to low tide on seven days bracketing coastal ocean storms to observe changes in beach and dune morphology. The images were geolocated by using the single-frequWater level measurements collected in West Falmouth Harbor, MA, 2016: U.S. Geological Survey data release
Water-level gauges were deployed at two sites in West Falmouth Harbor between May and October 2016. Two sequential deployments were required to provide measurements for the entire period. One gauge was mounted under the town-owned West Falmouth boat dock and the other on the private Associates dock near the mouth of the Harbor. Each gauge supported two pressure sensors mounted in a stilling weWater level measurements collected in West Falmouth Harbor, MA, 2017
Water-level gauges were deployed at two sites in West Falmouth Harbor between April and June 2017. One gauge was mounted under the town-owned West Falmouth boat dock and the other on the private Associates dock near the mouth of the Harbor. The gauge at Associates dock supported two pressure sensors mounted in a stilling well to damp wave motions. The stilling wells were 4-inch diameter PVC tubesWater samples in support of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014-15, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2014-048-FA
U.S. Geological Survey scientist and technical support staff measured oceanographic, water quality, seabed elevation change, and meteorological parameters in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, during the period of August 13, 2014 to July 14, 2015 as part of the Estuarine Physical Response (EPR) to Storms project (GS2-2D) supported by the Department of the Interior Hurricane Sandy Recovery pr - Publications
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 estimaAuthorsOlivia A. De Meo, Neil K. Ganju, Robert D. Bales, Eric D. Marsjanik, Steven E. SuttlesState of the science and decision support for measuring suspended sediment with acoustic instrumentation
Acoustic instrumentation can be used to provide time-series and discrete estimates of suspended-sediment concentration, load, and sediment particle sizes in fluvial systems, which are essential for creating informed solutions to many sediment-related environmental, engineering, and land management concerns. Historically, scientists have developed relations between suspended sediment characteristicAuthorsMolly S. Wood, Joel T. Groten, Timothy D. Straub, Dan R.W. Haught, Ronald E. Griffiths, Justin A. Boldt, Zulimar Lucena, Jeb E. Brown, Steven E. Suttles, Patrick J. DickhudtShoaling wave shape estimates from field observations and derived bedload sediment rates
The shoaling transformation from generally linear deep-water waves to asymmetric shallow-water waves modifies wave shapes and causes near-bed orbital velocities to become asymmetrical, contributing to net sediment transport. In this work, we used two methods to estimate the asymmetric wave shape from data at three sites. The first method converted wave measurements made at the surface to idealizedAuthorsTarandeep S. Kalra, Steven E. Suttles, Christopher R. Sherwood, John C. Warner, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Gibson Robert Scott LeavittSummary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements offshore of Matanzas Inlet, Florida, 2018
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and technical staff deployed instrumented underwater platforms and buoys to collect oceanographic and atmospheric data at two sites near Matanzas Inlet, Florida, on January 24, 2018, and recovered them on April 13, 2018. Matanzas Inlet is a natural, unmaintained inlet on the Florida Atlantic coast that is well suited to study inlet and cross-shore processesAuthorsMarinna A. Martini, Ellyn Montgomery, Steven E. Suttles, John C. WarnerSpatiotemporal variability of light attenuation and net ecosystem metabolism in a back-barrier estuary
Quantifying system-wide biogeochemical dynamics and ecosystem metabolism in estuaries is often attempted using a long-term continuous record at a single site or short-term records at multiple sites due to sampling limitations that preclude long-term monitoring. However, differences in the dominant primary producer at a given location (e.g., phytoplankton versus benthic producers) control diel variAuthorsNeil Kamal Ganju, Jeremy Testa, Steven E. Suttles, Alfredo AretxabaletaSummary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15
U.S. Geological Survey scientists and technical support staff measured oceanographic, waterquality, seabed-elevation-change, and meteorological parameters in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, during the period of August 13, 2014, to July 14, 2015, as part of the Estuarine Physical Response to Storms project (GS2–2D) supported by the Department of the Interior Hurricane Sandy recovery prograAuthorsSteven E. Suttles, Neil K. Ganju, Sandra M. Brosnahan, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Alexis Beudin, Daniel J. Nowacki, Marinna A. MartiniSummary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, 2014–15
Scientists and technical support staff from the U.S. Geological Survey measured suspended-sediment concentrations, currents, pressure, and water temperature in two tidal creeks, Reedy Creek and Dinner Creek, in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, from August 11, 2014, to July 10, 2015 as part of the Estuarine Physical Response to Storms project (GS2–2D). The oceanographic and water-quality data quantify susAuthorsSteven E. Suttles, Neil K. Ganju, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Jonathan Borden, Sandra M. Brosnahan, Marinna A. MartiniQuantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in a back-barrier estuary
Geomorphology is a fundamental control on ecological and economic function of estuaries. However, relative to open coasts, there has been little quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in back-barrier estuaries. Vessel-based and airborne bathymetric mapping can cover large areas quickly, but change detection is difficult because measurement errors can be larger than the actual changes oAuthorsNeil K. Ganju, Steven E. Suttles, Alexis Beudin, Daniel J. Nowacki, Jennifer L. Miselis, Brian D. AndrewsColored dissolved organic matter in shallow estuaries: relationships between carbon sources and light attenuation
Light availability is of primary importance to the ecological function of shallow estuaries. For example, benthic primary production by submerged aquatic vegetation is contingent upon light penetration to the seabed. A major component that attenuates light in estuaries is colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). CDOM is often measured via a proxy, fluorescing dissolved organic matter (fDOM), due tAuthorsW.K. Oestreich, Neil K. Ganju, John W. Pohlman, Steven E. SuttlesDocumentation of the U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic time-series measurement database
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Oceanographic Time-Series Measurement Database contains oceanographic observations made as part of studies designed to increase understanding of sediment transport processes and associated dynamics. Analysis of these data has contributed to more accurate prediction of the movement and fate of sediments and other suspended materials in the coastal ocean. The measurAuthorsEllyn T. Montgomery, Marinna A. Martini, Frances L. Lightsom, Bradford Butman, Daniel J. Nowacki, Steven E. Suttles - Web Tools
U.S. Geological Survey Oceanographic Time-Series Data Collection
Oceanographic time-series measurements made by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1975 and the present as part of research programs. The data were collected to address specific research questions and were primarily collected over durations less than a year, using stationary platforms, with sensors near the sea floor. These data have been used to study of ocean dynamics and to validate ocean models
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