Unified Interior Regions
Florida
World class scientists working in Southeast Region Science Centers help our partners understand and manage complex issues including competition for limited water resources, coastal hazards, mineral and energy resource extraction, degraded ecosystems, vector-borne diseases, rapidly changing land use, and response to climate change.
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World class scientists working in Southeast Region Science Centers help our partners understand and manage complex issues including competition for limited water resources, coastal hazards, mineral and energy resource extraction, degraded ecosystems, vector-borne diseases, rapidly changing land use, and response to climate change.
News
Climate change will continue preventing coral reef growth in subtropics
Based on new research, USGS scientists predict future climate change will continue to suppress coral reef growth in the subtropics.
USGS Releases Nationwide Marsh Vulnerability Maps
Scientists developed high-resolution imagery of coastal wetlands to identify the most vulnerable marshes across the US
Providing Guidance and Hope for Coral Restoration Efforts
Coral reefs are suffering due to multiple stressors in our changing world, but there is hope for recovery. New USGS science can help guide the way to restoration success.
Publications
Summary 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...
Martini, Marinna A.; Montgomery, Ellyn; Suttles, Steven E.; Warner, John C.
The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction
Habitats, such as coral reefs, can mitigate increasing flood damages through coastal protection services. We provide a fine-scale, national valuation of the flood risk reduction benefits of coral habitats to people, property, economies and infrastructure. Across 3,100 km of US coastline, the top-most 1 m of coral reefs prevents the 100-yr flood...
Reguero, Borja G.; Storlazzi, Curt; Gibbs, Ann E.; Shope, James B.; Cole, Aaron D.; Cumming, Kristen A.; Beck, Mike
Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution
Predicting the decadal evolution of barrier island systems is important for coastal managers who propose restoration or preservation alternatives aimed at increasing the resiliency of the island and its associated habitats or communities. Existing numerical models for simulating morphologic changes typically include either long-term (for example,...
Mickey, Rangley C.; Long, Joseph W.; Dalyander, P. Soupy ; Jenkins, Robert L.; Thompson, David M.; Passeri, Davina; Plant, Nathaniel G.
Remote Sensing Coastal Change
We use remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal change along U.S. shorelines.
The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction
Summary of the report, “Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction”
Using Scout Burmese Pythons and Detector Dogs to Protect Endangered Species in the Florida Keys
WARC researchers are addressing an urgent need to identify specific habitat use of pythons on Key Largo, FL.
Quantitative Tools for the Urgent Recovery and Regulatory Needs of the Florida Bonneted Bat, Eumops floridanus
WARC researchers are organizing Florida bonneted bat echolocation recordings into a database to assess population trends and bat response to management actions.
Early Detection and Rapid Response: Removal of Newly Introduced Non-native Marine Fishes to Prevent Invasions
USGS WARC works with partners on early detection and rapid response (ED/RR) efforts, rapidly removing newly introduced non-native marine fishes from Florida’s coastal waters to prevent invasions.
Enhancing Cross-Jurisdictional Adaptive Management in the Gulf of Mexico
Using an iterative qualitative coding process, WARC researchers are identifying objectives, stressors, and management priorities to support the implementation of adaptive management in restoration programs across the Gulf of Mexico.
LCMAP Change Stories: It's a Sprawl World After All
The man-made Florida playland of Walt Disney World has grown outward on all sides since the amusement park’s construction commenced in the 1960s. Much of that growth has overtaken the wetlands, tree cover and grassland/shrublands near Orlando.
The Response of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-level Rise: Understanding how Macroscale Drivers Influence Local Processes and Feedbacks
The purpose of this work is to advance our understanding of how coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise (SLR) within the conterminous United States are likely to vary as a function of local, regional, and macroscale drivers, including climate. Based on our interactions with managers and decision makers, as well as our knowledge of the current state of the science, we propose to: (a)...
Fish Chat and Slam November 2019
Fifty fish biologists from 15 organizations participated in a three-day Fish Chat and Slam event in South Florida on November 5-7, 2019.
Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Capabilities to Help Identify Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and the effects of Salvinia weevil (Cyrtogagous salviniae)
USGS is collecting remotely sensed data to classify Salvinia molesta, a non-native aquatic species that reduces light and oxygen levels in water, making it unsuitable for fish and other aquatic plant life.
Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida
Due to reduced funding, the May 2009 map will be the last publication of the Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida unless additional funding sources are identified. Water-level elevations will still be measured semi-annually and published in the Annual Data Report as long as funding is available. The...
Applications of Advanced Tracking and Modeling Tools with Burmese Pythons across South Florida's Landscape
Researchers will determine movement rates and habitat-use patterns of pythons across the South Florida landscape by conducting a telemetry study tracking pythons simultaneously in several locations
Verified Irrigated Agricultural Lands for the United States, 2002-17
The spatial extents of verified irrigated lands were compiled from various federal and state sources across the nation and combined into a single Geographic Information System (GIS) geodatabase for the purpose of model training and validation.
An Unvegetated to Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) for coastal wetlands of the Conterminous United States (2014-2018)
This USGS Data Release represents geospatial data sets which were created to produce an Unvegetated to Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) for coastal wetlands of the conterminous United States (2014-2018).
SQUID-5 structure-from-motion point clouds, bathymetric maps, orthomosaics, and underwater photos of coral reefs in Florida, 2019
The new structure-from-motion (SfM) quantitative underwater imaging device with five cameras (SQUID-5) was tested in July 2019 at Crocker Reef in the Florida Keys. The SQUID-5 was developed to meet the unique challenges of collecting SfM underwater imagery, including multiple cameras with different perspectives, accurate geographic locations of images, accurate and precise scaling of derived...
Domestic Wells in the United States
Domestic wells provide drinking water supply for approximately 40 million people in the United States. Knowing the location of these wells, and the populations they serve, is important for identifying heavily used aquifers, locations susceptible to contamination, and populations potentially impacted by poor-quality groundwater.
Structure-from-Motion bathymetric maps from the Florida Keys, 2019
Structure-from-Motion (SfM) bathymetric maps were created using seafloor images collected using the new 5-camera system SfM Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). Images were collected during July 2019 by towing the SQUID-5 in 3 to 4 meters of water off of Islamorada in the Florida Keys during 3 days. The five cameras were synchronized together and with a surv
Structure-from-Motion underwater photos from the Florida Keys, 2019
Underwater photos were collected using a new 5-camera system, the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). Images were collected in July 2019 by towing the SQUID-5 in 3 to 4 meters of water off of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The five cameras were synchronized together and with a survey-grade Global Positioning System (GPS).
Structure-from-Motion orthophotos from the Florida Keys, 2019
Georeferenced orthophotos were created from structure-from-motion (SfM) data using seafloor images collected using the new 5-camera system SfM Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). Images were collected in July 2019 by towing the SQUID-5 in 3 to 4 meters of water off of Islamorada in the Florida Keys during 3 days. The five cameras were synchronized together
Structure-from-Motion point clouds from the Florida Keys, 2019
Structure-from-Motion (SfM) point clouds were created from seafloor images collected using the new 5-camera system SfM Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). Images were collected in July 2019 by towing the SQUID-5 in 3 to 4 meters of water off of Islamorada in the Florida Keys during 3 days. The five cameras were synchronized together and with a survey-grade
Coastal and Marine Geoscience Data System
Information about scientific data collected through field activities conducted by scientists in the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources program
National Water Information System (NWIS) Mapper
The NWIS mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.
Water Level and Salinity Analysis Mapper
The Water Level and Salinity Analysis Mapper is designed to conduct automated statistical and graphical analyses on water-level and salinity data collected from sites monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in South Florida.
Projected flood extent polygons and flood depth points based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods, with and without coral reefs, for the State of Hawaii (the islands of Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and Oahu
This part of the data release presents projected flooding extent polygon (flood masks) and flooding depth points (flood points) shapefiles based on wave-driven total water levels for the State of Hawaii (the islands of Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and Oahu). For each island there are 8 associated flood mask and flood depth shapefiles: one for
This data set consists of a detailed digital map of individual irrigated fields and a summary of the irrigated acreage for the 2018 growing season developed for Sarasota County, Florida. Selected attribute data that include crop type, irrigation system, and primary water source were collected for each irrigated field.
This data set consists of a detailed digital map of the extent of fields and a summary of the irrigated acreage for the period between January and December 2019 compiled for Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Sumter Counties, Florida. Attributes for each field include a general or specific crop type, irrigation system, and primary water source.
Domestic wells provide drinking water supply for approximately 40 million people in the United States. Knowing the location of these wells, and the populations they serve, is important for identifying heavily used aquifers, locations susceptible to contamination, and populations potentially impacted by poor-quality groundwater.
This map shows the provinces assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources.
Okeechobee County, Florida irrigated agricultural land-use GIS shapefile for the 2017 growing season
This data set consists of a detailed digital map of individual irrigated fields and a summary of the irrigated acreage for the 2017 growing season developed for Okeechobee County, Florida. Selected attribute data that include crop type, irrigation system, and primary water source were collected for each irrigated field.
Hurricane Irma, the most intense hurricane observed in the Atlantic in the last decade, approached the west coast of Florida on September 10th, 2017. This animation shows the precipitation and river conditions through time as Irma moved over the southeastern United States.
Network wells depicted on the Climate Response Network location map
Note: Color shading in the table below indicates multiple wells that plot as a single point on the state location map above.
Note: BLS = Water Level in Feet Below Land Surface, RVD = Water Level referenced to a vertical datum
June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season. Should storms arrive on the Louisiana coast, the people in coastal communities across the State, along with many Federal, State, and local agencies will need to know how the storms are affecting the coastal and low-lying areas.The USGS maintains an extensive network of coastal gages that provides critical time-sensitive water level.
The 3DEP products and services available through The National Map consist of standard digital elevation models (DEMs) at various horizontal resolutions, elevation source and associated datasets, an elevation point query service and bulk point query service. All 3DEP products are available, free of charge and without use restrictions.
Links to publications that contain maps of the sea floor or lake beds and the digital data used to create them.
The USGS Storm Tide Mapper is a tool for viewing, analyzing, and accessing storm tide data collected during and after hurricanes and Nor’easters. The USGS Storm Tide Mapper will continue to provide a unified and consistent source of real-time and archived storm-tide data.
Summary 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...
Martini, Marinna A.; Montgomery, Ellyn; Suttles, Steven E.; Warner, John C. The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction
Habitats, such as coral reefs, can mitigate increasing flood damages through coastal protection services. We provide a fine-scale, national valuation of the flood risk reduction benefits of coral habitats to people, property, economies and infrastructure. Across 3,100 km of US coastline, the top-most 1 m of coral reefs prevents the 100-yr flood...
Reguero, Borja G.; Storlazzi, Curt; Gibbs, Ann E.; Shope, James B.; Cole, Aaron D.; Cumming, Kristen A.; Beck, Mike Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution
Predicting the decadal evolution of barrier island systems is important for coastal managers who propose restoration or preservation alternatives aimed at increasing the resiliency of the island and its associated habitats or communities. Existing numerical models for simulating morphologic changes typically include either long-term (for example,...
Mickey, Rangley C.; Long, Joseph W.; Dalyander, P. Soupy ; Jenkins, Robert L.; Thompson, David M.; Passeri, Davina; Plant, Nathaniel G.
Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision making...
Storlazzi, Curt D.; Reguero, Borja G.; Cole, Aaron D.; Lowe, Erik; Shope, James B.; Gibbs, Ann E.; Nickel, Barry A.; McCall, Robert T.; van Dongeren, Ap R.; Beck, Michael W.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the South Florida basin, 2016
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 49 million barrels of oil and 18 billion cubic feet of gas in the onshore and State waters part of the South Florida basin.
Roberts-Ashby, Tina L.; Hackley, Paul C.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Le, Phuong A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Finn, Thomas M.
2018 hurricane and wildfire supplemental funding: USGS recovery activities
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123), was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided $42.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for equipment repair and replacement, high-resolution elevation data collection in both hurricane- and wildfire-impacted...
Hinck, Jo Ellen; Stachyra, Joseph
Groundwater-flow budget for the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in southwestern Georgia and parts of Florida and Alabama, 2008–12
As part of the National Water Census program in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated the groundwater budget of the lower ACF, with particular emphasis on recharge, characterizing the spatial and temporal relation between surface water and groundwater, and groundwater pumping. To evaluate the...
Jones, L. Elliott; Painter, Jaime A.; LaFontaine, Jacob H.; Sepúlveda, Nicasio; Sifuentes, Dorothy F. Human interactions with sirenians (manatees and dugongs)
There are three extant sirenian species of the Trichechidae family and one living Dugongidae family member. Given their close ties to coastal and often urbanized habitats, sirenians are exposed to many types of anthropogenic activities that result in challenges to their well-being, poor health, and even death. In the wild, they are exposed to...
Bonde, Robert K.; Flint, Mark
Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2016
Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee), especially T. m. latirostris, the Florida subspecies, has been the focus of conservation efforts and extensive research since its listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. To determine the status of, and severity of threats to, the Florida manatee, a comprehensive revision and update of the manatee...
Runge, Michael C.; Sanders-Reed, Carol A.; Langtimm, Catherine A.; Hostetler, Jeffrey A.; Martin, Julien; Deutsch, Charles J.; Ward-Geiger, Leslie I.; Mahon, Gary L. Manatee grazing impacts on a mixed species seagrass bed
The endangered manatee Trichechus manatus is one of few large grazers in seagrass systems. To assess the long-term impacts of repeated grazing on seagrasses, we selected a study site within Kennedy Space Center in the northern Banana River, Brevard County, Florida, that was typically grazed by large numbers of manatees in spring. Two 13x13 m...
Lefebvre, Lynn W.; Provancha, Jane A.; Slone, Daniel H.; Kenworthy, W. Judson Baseline aquatic contamination and endocrine status in a resident fish of Biscayne National Park
Surface water, sediment, and fish from Biscayne Bay, coastal wetlands adjacent to the Bay, and canals discharging into the Bay were sampled for determination of baseline contamination in Biscayne National Park. While the number of contaminants detected in canal waters was greater during the wet season than the dry season, no seasonal difference...
Bargar, Timothy A.; Whelan, Kevin R.T.; Alvarez, David; Echols, Kathy R.; Peterman, Paul H. Expert opinions of demographic rates of Argentine black and white tegus in South Florida
We illustrate the utility of expert elicitation, explicit recognition of uncertainty, and the value of information for directing management and research efforts for invasive species, using tegu lizards (Salvator merianae) in southern Florida as a case study. We posited a post-birth pulse, matrix model, which was parameterized using a 3-point...
Johnson, Fred A.
Monitoring equipment in the ocean
Ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher, of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), sits at a desk on board the USGS boat Sallenger. He and a team of scientists from PCMSC and sister team St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center are near Eastern Dry
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RC Mickey with UTV at Jupiter Beach
Oceanographer RC Mickey in front of a USGS UTV (utility task vehicle) carrying GPS equipment. He is collecting GPS data for location and elevation of sea turtle crawls and associated beach profiles along Jupiter Beach and Juno Beach, FL. Collected data is used in cooperative project with FWC, FWS, USGS, and USFSP aimed at understanding sea turtle nesting behavior in
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UTV in front of beach scarp
A UTV (utility task vehicle) parked in front of a beach scarp used to collect data that is used in cooperation with FWC, FWS, USGS, and USFSP to understand sea turtle nesting behavior in response to beach renourishment with the goal of advising engineers on how to develop more turtle friendly nourishment designs.
EarthShots — Satellite Images of Environmental Change
The US Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, or "EROS" archive’s data from the LandSat satellites which have been in operation from 1972 to the present day. EarthShots presents environmental changes using Landsat images.
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program (AD)
We are the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Our mission is to provide science for sustainable stewardship of Earth’s precious resources. We conduct research, quantify resources, work to understand ecosystems, and develop tools to ensure our Nation has the best information to manage resources and prepare for
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
We are the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Our mission is to provide science for sustainable stewardship of Earth’s precious resources. We conduct research, quantify resources, work to understand ecosystems, and develop tools to ensure our Nation has the best information to manage resources and prepare for
Earth As Art 1
The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance. Earth As Art shows not only what satellites capture in the visible wavelengths of light you and I can see, but also what’s hiding in the invisible wavelengths that Landsat sensors can detect in the infrared
Earth As Art 1 (AD)
The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance. Earth As Art shows not only what satellites capture in the visible wavelengths of light you and I can see, but also what’s hiding in the invisible wavelengths that Landsat sensors can detect in the infrared
Aerial view of northern Pinellas County barrier islands
Barrier islands off the coast of northern Pinellas County, Florida including Anclote Key, Three Rooker Island, and the northern tip of Honeymoon Island. These barriers protect a highly populated coastline.
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow Daniel Ciarletta labels a sediment core
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center labels a sediment core obtained from a vibracore system on Mullet Key, a barrier island along the Gulf coast of Central Florida. He studies these sediment samples to learn more about the long-term geological evolution of
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Sediment coring at Mullet Key, Florida along the Gulf of Mexico
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologists Julie Bernier and Nancy DeWitt of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center operating a vibracore system on Mullet Key, a barrier island along the Gulf coast of Central Florida. The scientists are taking sediment samples to learn more about the long-
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Collecting sediment core with vibracore equipment at Mullet Key, FL
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Based on new research, USGS scientists predict future climate change will continue to suppress coral reef growth in the subtropics.
Scientists developed high-resolution imagery of coastal wetlands to identify the most vulnerable marshes across the US
Coral reefs are suffering due to multiple stressors in our changing world, but there is hope for recovery. New USGS science can help guide the way to restoration success.
Nursery-grown elkhorn coral transplanted into Dry Tortugas National Park survived and thrived, growing twice as fast as corals planted in other locations in the Florida Keys, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study published in Endangered Species Research.
Learn more about the recent field activities completed by scientists in the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program at the USGS, and explore the Science Projects that guide this fieldwork.
A total of $100,000 will fund new research and preserve important data across the Sunshine State
Laura and Sally affecting Gulf Coast, waves from Paulette and Teddy to strike Atlantic beaches
To learn more about USGS’s role in providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Sally, visit usgs.gov/sally.
A team of federal, academic, and NGO researchers conducted a national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels.
Washington – Today, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Conservancy of Southwest Florida announced they have teamed up to radio-track Burmese pythons in Big Cypress National Preserve, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and other areas of Southwest Florida.
Summary statistics are now available. Thanks again to everyone who contributed!
This challenge is now complete! Thank you to everyone who contributed!
This challenge is SO CLOSE to being finished! See our spatial analysis for tips on remaining communities.
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Locations
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center - Gainesville, FL
Phone: 352-378-8181
Fax: 352-378-4956
Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center - Lutz, FL Office
Phone: (813) 498-5000
Fax: (813) 498-5002
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Phone: (727) 502-8000
Fax: (727) 502-8181
USGS-St. Petersburg Carbon Analytical Laboratory
USGS Everglades Research Offices
Phone: 305-242-7834
Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center - Fort Myers, FL Field Office
Phone: (239) 275-8448
Fax: (239) 275-6820
Caribbean Florida Water Science Center - Tallahassee, FL Field Office
Phone: (850) 553-3640
Fax: (805) 553-3641
Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center - Orlando, FL Field Office
Phone: (407) 803-5500
Fax: (407) 803-5501
Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center - Davie, FL Field Office
Phone: (954) 377-5900
Fax: (954) 377-5901
