Unified Interior Regions

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-

Bobby Scharping, a post-doctoral scholar working with scientists from the USGS (John Pohlman) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Stefan Sievert and Matt Charette), documents the environmental conditions where he as emplaced an acoustic current meter and multi-sensor package 90 feet underwater AND underground in Double Keyhole Cave near the coastline of Tampa Bay

The U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center is conducting research to guide the restoration and recovery of the threatened elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, in Dry Tortugas National Park and throughout the western Atlantic. Shown here is an elkhorn colony, raised from a fragment

Tropical Storm Eta affected beaches along Florida's Gulf Coast in November 2020. Some dunes were eroded up to several feet due to the high water levels associated with the storm. Madeira Beach is home to many people and animals, and erosion events such as this can affect both habitat and infrastructure. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards

Tropical Storm Eta had effects on Florida's Gulf Coast beaches, including dune erosion and overwash. This image from the coast cam at Madeira Beach, Florida captured high water levels and resulting overwash of sand onto the patio of the Shoreline Resort. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to predict these types of events to

Dr. Ilsa Kuffner of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and her collaborator Dr. Andrea Grottoli in the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State University prepare for field work to study endangered elkhorn corals in the Florida Keys along with their team of researchers. They are researching where and why

Established in 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coral Assessment Network (USGS-CAN) provides data on coral-growth (calcification) rates throughout the Florida Keys. Pictured here is one of 30 stations located in in Dry Tortugas National Park. The data document seasonal and spatial patterns in coral growth that correlate with ocean conditions and are used to guide the

To help study the biodiversity present in the deep sea, scientists collect sediment cores. These cores are about a foot long and provide a vertical profile of deep-sea sediment, or mud. USGS scientists at the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center identify and quantify the tiny animals found

Waves are the motion of the water's surface, usually caused by the transfer of energy from wind. Wave energy causes the water to move in a circular motion. The height and length of these waves combined with the slope of the beach influence how high the water can reach up on the coast. Waves are an important component of the total water level, which is how high the water

This screenshot was taken from a video created for the virtual 2020 St. Petersburg Science Festival that discussed Coastal Change Hazards research at the USGS. Justin Birchler is seen walking up the beach with GPS equipment to measure the elevation of the beach. These data are used to create a beach profile, that shows the shape of the

Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center on an adventure in the field! Our team of scientists will take you on board a personal watercraft near downtown St. Pete to show you how they collect bathymetry data – which is the depth of the ocean floor (in this case, Tampa Bay). This video was created as part of the 2020 St. Petersburg Science Festival (